


Captain's Keep

by WynterNytes



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:34:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 36,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28201689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WynterNytes/pseuds/WynterNytes
Summary: They found her by accident. What is a minor inconvenience for Starfleet is a life changing event for the sixteen year old girl. The crew of the USS Enterprise have their heads in the cosmos and nothing stands in the way of the Prime Directive. A little bit of carelessness reminds the fleet that there is always at least one life altered by one's actions. OC. Set between 2009 and ID.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	1. Spectrum

They had come upon her five months into Jim Kirk's occupation as Captain of the Enterprise. 

Or, more specifically- one month into his first official mission as Captain. The previous four months were dedicated to recovery from Nero's damage. 

So while the events leading up to her discovery were mildly fascinating, when compared to the rather astronomical experiences the crew of the USS Enterprise had previously endured, she was a relatively minor blip in the radar. 

So to speak. 

“Alriiiiiiiight, Alpha Quadrant. Home to Vulcan, Ferenginar, and our own Earth, amongst others,” Captain James T. Kirk said as he slowly paced the bridge, munching on an apple. “Only 25% of it has been sufficiently explored and it is our great luck to dig through the rest.”

Lieutenant Uhura rolled her eyes as her commanding officer strolled past her place at the communications deck. Though Kirk had certainly proven himself capable of command, she often found that he enjoyed the position a little too much. There was much to be said for the good humor of his crew, who handled their vexatious Captain with great poise and discipline. 

“Mr. Spock, what is our Prime Directive for this mission?” Kirk said. 

The Vulcan took a brief moment to regard his smirking Captain before answering. 

“Take the next year to explore and survey new and undiscovered planets and phenomena within the Alpha quadrant,” Spock said innocuously. “For now, an apparent iron-silica planet, reported to the Federation by a group of metal traders. They witnessed it when they inadvertently diverged from their set flight path.” 

“Right you are, first officer Spock,” Kirk replied, a bounce in his step. His enthusiasm was infections, despite his cocky attitude. The other officers on bridge were entertained, at the very least. Jim, to his credit, truly was excited for this mission. Sure, it was to a planet that wasn't too far from explored space, but it was the sign of things to come! Just a couple of these lame surveys and boom- deep space exploration would be up for grabs. The first ever five year mission would be his. 

Just as soon as he proved to the Federation he was a worthy Captain. Which, in his own not-so-humble opinion, he totally was. He practically had them in the palm of his hand after taking down Nero. He steepled his fingers below his chin as his thoughts suddenly drifted to Nero. Had it really only been five months ago? He glanced at his first officer, who was busy tapping away at his PADD. Five months since the Vulcan had become a member of an endangered species. Five months Jim himself had managed to survive a Romulan mad man. 

Jim pushed it out of his head and glanced to the row of men just below his chair. 

“Sulu, what is the estimated time of arrival?”

The helmsman punched his data pad a few times. “At current warp, two days.” Jim made a face. 

“Any way we could speed that up a bit?” 

“Captain, our current warp is the ideal speed of all on board operations. If my calculations are correct, this is the most efficient warp for the type of mission,” Spock said. 

“Efficient but slow, Spockman,” Kirk replied. “But eh, I'll defer to your expertise. Sulu, carry on.” He settled into the Captain's chair, grimacing as a manifest appeared before his face. Spock shook the PADD slightly. 

“Captain, it's been four hours since initial warp from our first survey, class L planet AX43-792-”

“Ugh, god awful name,” Kirk muttered.

“-and you have yet to review the warp manifest and secondary inspection rounds,” Spock said, casually holding out a PADD. Kirk brushed it aside. 

“Meh, boring. I'm sure it's in order, especially if it's been in your possession.” Spock retracted the manifest. 

“You are not wrong,” he agreed, but it is still your duty to-,”

“Keptin, we haff an anomaly,” Chekov interrupted, politely nodding his head at Commander Spock. The seventeen year old ensign rapidly swiped and tapped the screen of his stellar map. Across the bridge window, the view screen blinked into place, displaying Chekov's findings. 

Jim wasn't quite sure what he was looking at. “It looks like a... gap of some kind.” Chekov nodded. 

“A spatial anomaly, sir. While we are in unexplored territory, my calculations indicate that zis gap has no business here.” 

“Mr. Chekov, the very nature of space is riddled with anomalies and the unexplained,” Spock began. “I see no reason why this...” he stopped. The blinking data on the view screen suddenly warped. The gap, for lack of a better term, expanded suddenly. Kirk bit into his apple and turned in his chair. He grinned at Spock. 

“See?” He pointed at the view screen. “Not boring. You should take a page outta Chekov's book. Sulu, bring us out of warp. Uhura, notify the crew.”

The Entrerprise came to a full stop mid warp. The bridge was met with a familiar picture- space. The inky, unending abyss that was their pay grade. There was nothing in their sights to match the rapidly shifting diagrams running across their data screens. 

“Where is it?” Sulu asked, slowly turning the ship. 

“Sir, I have a transmission,” Uhura announced. Her hand was pressed firmly against her earpiece. She paused, an odd look washing over her face.

“Lieutenant Uhura,” Spock prompted. 

“It's familiar,” she replied. “But it's... different. Like an old radio frequency. I don't quite understand it.” 

“Keptin! Ze readings have spiked!” Cheklov interjected. But it was unnecessary. Sulu's gentle shifting of the Enterprise had revealed what had set their sensors off in the first place. A shift in space, a void. It was almost as if the blackness was twisting, tearing.

As astonishing as it was, it wasn't an unfamiliar sight. 

“I don't think that's good,” Sulu said, already reaching for the throttle. 

“I'm inclined to agree,” Kirk replied, the recently squashed memories of a certain Romulan flooding back. He set his apple down. “Chekov, map out a course in any direction- as long as it's away from that thing. Sulu, full reverse. Uhura, hail any starships nearby. Give 'em a friendly head's up.” 

Suddenly, the hole expanded, almost as if an explosion had torn it open. 

“Captain, warp is set and ready!”

“Flight path is a go!”

The ship rocked violently backward, throwing crew to their knees. 

“The ship is caught in the void,” Spock said, leaning over an officer's data terminal. He tapped vigorously at the screen, numbers and calculations flying across. “I don't understand- it's expanding!”

Kirk had one more moment to look out at the void before them, before it swallowed them whole.

First there was relief. After the almost crushing rocking and volleying of the Enterprise's short journey, they took solace in the fact that they weren't all dead. 

Then there was the business of plotting their location within the galaxy. And a fear too, unannounced but there, drifting between them like an airborne toxin. 

The last creatures to encounter a black hole were stranded in an alternate universe. 

But thanks to the careful calculations of Commander Spock, it was determined that it wasn't a black hole they had traveled through, but rather a wormhole. 

“So we can return, correct?” 

“According to Mr. Chekov's data, the wormhole is still present, Captain. Logically, one would assume entering it again would return us to our previous location,” Spock mused, tapping idly at his PADD. 

But they didn't return immediately. For drifting lazily before them was a very familiar sight. 

Earth. 

An Earth without the numerous docking bays, shuttles, ports and lighthouses that usually orbited the earth. 

A ground team was put together rapidly. Kirk, Spock, two men from security, and Dr. Leonard McCoy.

“Well Spock, I'm shocked. I would have thought you would say to return back through the wormhole first thing.”

Spock continued to check his phaser. “The prime directive is to explore unexplained phenomena, Captain. I thought this an excellent example.” He paused and looked back at Kirk. “Besides, this is far from 'boring'. I'm taking a page out of Mr. Chekov's book, as per your suggestion.” 

“Smart ass.” 

“Any reason why I need to come along,” Leonard McCoy asked gruffly as he strode into the transporter room. Two red shirted security officers tagged along. 

“Always good to have a doctor along,” Kirk said. “Besides, it'll be good to get you out of the med bay.” 

“I am perfectly happy in the med bay, thank you very much.” 

The location was chosen carefully. A moderately sized city somewhat isolated from other populations. It was a logical, calculated decision that eventually altered their lives in a small, albeit significant way. 

It was five months into Jim Kirk's official captaincy. One month and three days into a year long survey mission. 

But for Miri Alexander, it was forty-seven minutes into what was supposed to be a day out with friends. 

Spokane, Washington was the type of place that seemed like it was in the middle of nowhere. Almost in Idaho, the moderately sized city was surrounded by forest, bushland, mountains, and then nothing for hours. Once you got past the little suburbs and neighborhoods on the outskirts, it was a bit of a drive before you ended up anywhere interesting. 

At least, that's how it felt to sixteen year old Miri. As far as most typical teenagers, she was probably the most typical of all. Ordinary and unassuming, Miri longed for a bit of excitement beyond her small city, just like any other teen. 

Which is why on a Saturday morning, when teenagers in other cities might be sleeping in, content with the excitement just beyond their doors, Miri awoke early and took the number four bus to the Public Market. 

In a town like hers, you had to make your fun. And while Miri was far from a wild child, she and her friends found the Saturday Public Market as good excuse as any to be free from the shackles of their parents and school. 

Miri came from a good family. Her parents were still married, she had an older brother named Sam and one cat named Misty. They even went to church, though they were mostly going through the motions. 

“God is too busy for folks like us,” her father once said. “You gotta make your prayers in your own ways, not in some church.” 

Miri was a decent student- not straight A's like her brother, who was attending Gonzaga University, but she held her own. Science and math gave her a bit of trouble, but history and English were her forte. She wasn't exactly popular, but she had a close knit circle of friends. Truly, she was a typical teenager. 

And the Public Market was supposed to be a typical Saturday. But every now and again, in the most typical city on a typical day, there can occur a most atypical event. 

And today was such a day. 

“Miri! Over here!”

Miri craned her head over the other people exiting the bus before her. Sitting on a park bench a few feet away sat Lily McDevitt and Amanda Kerns, her two best friends. They waved her over. Miri neatly dodged the crowds of people already forming for the market and greeted her friends breathlessly.

“Have you been here for a while?”

“Nah, just got here,” Lily replied. “Wanna get an ice cream?”

Miri checked her watch. “It's like nine o'clock in the morning.” 

“So?” Amanda replied with a grin. “Your Dad give you money?”

“Yep.”

“Then let's go! Natalie Sykes said the fro-yo place down the street has some cute guys.”

Miri rolled her eyes. “Natalie Sykes thinks anything of the opposite gender is cute.”

Lily laughed and linked arms with her. “Well so do I, and I have a sudden hankering for a strawberry milkshake.” 

The trio set off brightly, giggling over nothing in particular, completely oblivious to the change in the stars above.

____________________________________________

“So what do you think this is?” McCoy asked, sliding his phaser into his belt before pulling his t-shirt down over it. “Another alternate universe? Getting' kind of tired of those.”

Jim looked up from his commlink to meet the eyes of the gruff doctor. He shrugged. 

“Who knows, Bones?” he replied. “It seems hard to believe that we'd be... fortunate enough to come across a rift in space and time twice in our lives, and yet...” he gestured around him. “Here we are.”  
They'd chosen to beam down just outside the city limits, in a sprawling field of tall grasses. 

“Possibly wheat,” Spock mused, collecting a sample before they moved on.

“Cursory scans suggest an absolutely primitive sense of security,” Ensign Jeffery Dutch said then, reviewing the data the Enterprise was streaming to him. “Lt. Uhura is indicating a handful of satellites orbiting the atmosphere, as well as what could possibly be a space port- but ultimately nothing that could detect our presence- even if we were completely unshielded.” The ensign looked up from his data. “The planet appears to geographically match our Earth though, sir.” 

“Time travel?” Spock offered, leaving his dirt and grass samples for a moment. Jim looked to the horizon, where the city stood against the brilliant blue of the early morning. 

“Perhaps. It wouldn't be the weirdest thing we've encountered.” He glanced back at Ensign Dutch. “Time travel or not, let's leave the “primitive” term behind. A society is never primitive; only evolving. We shouldn't look down on a place being at a different point in their progress.” 

Ensign Dutch nodded, lowering his PADD. “Of course, sir.” 

The trek into the city was not a long one. As Ensign Dutch had indicated, this Earth's security was such that they could nearly beam on top if it without arousing much suspicion. Kirk knew the secret to fitting in was acting confident- make them believe you belong. This approach, combined with the simplest street clothes they could dig out of their closets- meant hardly anyone batted an eye at the small posse as they moved from quiet suburb to downtown. 

It was quickly apparent where the “main” part of town was located. The major thoroughfare was filled with carefully organized stalls. Colorful flags strung between buildings announced that it was the “Spokane Saturday Market.”

Though it was still early enough in the day, the market was busting in the gentle daylight. Spock was surreptitiously snapping photographs of the buildings, the people, the vehicles, and more. 

“I find that this place has echoes of early 21st century Earth,” Spock offered once a loud group of women had passed safely out of earshot, “However, it does not quite... mesh, with my understanding of human history.”

Jim agreed. The architecture, the vehicles, the very visuals of the city all looked familiar, like from the vids his grade school teachers would put on when they were too hungover to instruct the class. But it also felt... off. 

They found a newspaper, the Spokesman Review.

“September 21st, 2013,” Bones read slowly. “So it is in the past... whether from our own time line or another.” 

Had they thought to inform Uhura of the specific date and time of their location, perhaps things would have not turned out the way they did. Uhura would have pulled the Federation historical archives. She would have seen the events that were to occur on this day and inform her Captain, who would then call for Scotty to beam them back up.  
But nothing was sent back to the Enterprise. The ground team slowly separated to cover more ground.

And fate was set in motion.

“God, I could have fried an egg off your face,” Amanda giggled, spooning a rather large amount of vanilla ice cream into her mouth. 

Miri was still quite red. She fanned herself with her free hand, making her two friends laugh even harder. “Why did you do that to me?”

“What? All we did was suggest that you and the ice cream boy go to the dance together,” Lily replied innocently. Miri gave her a pointed look. “Alright, maybe we did say it in front of the ice cream boy. But he didn't look like he was about to object!”

The trio of girls were slowly winding their way through the numerous stalls set up in the park for the market. Vendors hawked art, beauty products, bead work, clothes and other crafts. Two rows over was the food aisle, wafting the smell of elephant ears and fried chicken throughout the whole market. 

“That's how I asked Tom to the dance,” Lily continued. “I just walked right up and said it. And guess what? I now have a date. You just have to assert yourself.”

Miri privately thought to herself that it had more to do with Lily's generous bra size more than her assertiveness. She was a gorgeous red head with a body that had no business being on a sixteen year old girl. And she knew it too. 

Miri caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror set up near a clothing stall. Where puberty had been kind to Lily, Miri was still caught somewhere in the middle. She was short, while Lily was tall long, slender legs. Lily's hair flowed perfectly down her back. Miri kept her wavy brown hair in a short bob, lest it turn into a rat's nest. And where Lily's eyes sparked and glowed, Miri found hers to be a bit too round and puppy dog like for her taste. 

If she looked like Lily, she would be more assertive. Amanda seemed to follow her line of thinking and quickly changed the subject. 

“Ooh look, bracelets! Let's see if we can find some matching ones.” Lily and Amanda skipped off towards the stall, with Miri tailing slowly behind. 

Out of nowhere, a tall man bumped into her roughly. She dropped her ice cream. 

“Ouch- sorry!” she exclaimed. She knelt to the ground to pick up the dropped cone. She glanced upward. Did that man have pointed ears?

“Miri!” Amanda called. 

“Oh, coming!” Miri cast one last look behind her before joining her friends.

Bones wandered aimlessly up and down the aisles, eventually losing his other shadow that was Ensign Croft. Despite his initial reluctance to come down here, it really was a fascinating experience. This was pre-warp America, as far as he could tell. Sure they had all the records, but still. It was an entirely different sensation to actually be here, rather than watching it on archival footage. 

Kirk had found a display of vintage motorcycles and was practically drooling over them. Well, they weren't really vintage at this point. One of the Harley's was brand spanking new.

Spock was collecting data, rapidly typing in his PADD as he went. He stood before a statue, some memorial of a war hero. He inputted this information, but paused momentarily when he bumped into a small person. It was a young girl. She apologized, but he quickly moved on, aware that her gaze had gone straight to his ears. 

It was right about the time he began wondering how long the Captain would insist on risking interaction with the locals, when the explosion occurred.

Miri found herself clutching her side in pain as screams ripped through the air around her. Was it gunfire? 

No, an explosion. 

She felt the hot asphalt beneath her palms as she struggled to get a grip on reality. The inside of her head rang with the repeating echoes of the blast heard moments before. Paper and debris floated gently from the sky. 

Vision clouded somewhat by a sticky red substance, Miri rolled onto her side. Amanda lay a few feet away, unmoving.

Pain exploded from her midsection, racing upwards towards her chest and neck. She could hardly breath, hardly think. Beginning to feel a bit cold, are we Miri?

But there was suddenly blue. The bluest eyes she had ever seen. They appeared to be looking right through her, not truly seeing. Gold and white lights pulsated into existence and she closed her own eyes. Is this death? 

Then darkness.

Kirk received the transmission only moments before the explosion. The wormhole was showing signs of closing. They needed to leave immediately. But before he could give the order, a shuddering force knocked him off his feet and into the nearest stall awning. 

Spock and Bones were somewhere else in the market. To his right, Ensign Dutch lay dead, his skull splattered against the pavement. Jim was back on his feet in an instant, shouting orders into his communicator. 

Back on the Enterprise there was similar chaos. The bridge was alive with the flurry of bodies as Sulu barked orders to his fellow crew members. 

Ready for warp. Plot the course. Return the Captain. 

Scotty raced back down to his engines to prep the core for the sudden exodus. An ensign was left behind to beam back the ground team. Ensign O'Connell, as it were. The young man was fully capable of such a duty, but the previous night he had engaged in some rather heavy drinking. Nursing a hangover, he peered over the transit data. 

How many had been sent down again? Those were the life forms he was reading, correct? Yes! There, the captain, Spock, the doctor... 

“Bring us back now!” 

There was no time to second guess. Do it! Do it now! 

Five forms bathed in light appeared on the transport pad. In a flash, Jim was down the two steps and out into the hall.

“Sulu get us outta here!” 

The turbolift couldn't move fast enough for him. Jim burst from the lift before it had truly settled into its docking. 

“Thrusters on full, maximum warp!” 

Jim gripped the back of his chair so tightly his knuckles turned white from the pressure. Just out the window, he could see the wormhole was steadily growing smaller. 

He never would have thought that the second time a rift occurred in the universe in his presence he would be racing towards it, instead of from it. 

But they made it through. How could they not?

Jim Kirk and the Enterprise would always come through. 

There was a collective sigh of relief expunged from end-to-end of the ship as Chekov announced their coordinates. Behind them the wormhole closed, sealing off the curious case of a second Earth from the past. 

Kirk settled in his chair, offering his congrats to the fine performance of the bridge crew. The entire endeavor would be an interesting addition to the mission log. And yet...

“Captain, you need to see something.”

Cursing his first officer, Kirk hauled himself upright and back into the turbolift. Uhura was close behind. 

“I'd like to check on Spock,” she said by way of explanation. 

“Even if I said no you'd do it anyway,” Kirk replied, grinning at his communications officer. Uhura shrugged her shoulders as if to agree. They exited the turbolift moments later, the transporter room just ahead. Scotty arrived simultaneously, covered in sweat and grime from the engine bay. 

“Cap'n, need I remind you to be gentle with tha ship? I know she's a good lady but c'mon, give 'er a break already.” 

Commander Spock turned at their entrance. Kirk's gaze was immediately drawn to the Vulcan's feet, where a prone form lay. Bones knelt next to the figure, gently checking vitals. 

“Who the hell is that?” Kirk asked. 

An ensign stood sheepishly from his control desk.

“I-I think I may have accidentally expanded the field to incorporate her into the beam...” he said, scratching the back of his head. Kirk rolled his eyes. 

“Accidentally? I think it's pretty clear that's exactly what you did. What's your name, Ensign?” 

“O'Connell.”

“Well, O'Connell, do you know what-,”

“Captain, might I suggest we save reprimands for later and focus upon the issue at hand?” Spock interrupted. 

Bones motioned to the remaining security officer, who crouched next to him. Carefully, they rolled the girl onto her back. 

“God dammit,” Bones cursed gruffly. A blood spot revealed itself upon her midsection, diffusing rapidly across the flower patterned fabric of her blouse. “We need to get her to the med bay.”

Forgoing a transit board that had yet to be called for, Bones swung the unconscious girl into his arms and carried her from the room. Uhura made space for them to pass, her hand covering her mouth in a look akin to shock. 

“Is she from...” she began in a hushed tone. 

“That can be the only explanation,” Spock replied. He locked eyes with Jim. “Captain, do you realize what this means?” 

“That I'm gonna have one hell of a report to write?” 

Spock was not amused. “It means we have effectively brought a person from 21st century Earth into the 23rd century.”

“One hell of a field trip,” Kirk said, but the mirth was gone from his voice. 

“A permanent field trip,” Spock stressed. “We've essentially marooned her.”

Spock and Uhura left the transport bay. O'Connell still stood at his desk, practically shaking in his boots. Scotty stepped further into the room, shooting the Ensign a warning look.

“Er, Cap'n... I would be a bit remiss in my duties if I didn't let ya know that it was me who left the young O'Connell alone up here. It sounded like we were up for a rough getaway so I popped off to the engine bay for a bit.” 

Kirk waved Scotty's apology away. “Let's not get caught up in who is responsible right now. We've still got missions ahead of us to worry about.” 

Scotty nodded. The Captain was beginning to have a very strained look come over his face. Wisely, the chief engineer backed from the room, pausing only to grab Ensign O'Connell by the neck of his shirt and drag him along. 

Kirk was left alone in the transport room. A thick pool of blood on the transporter pad was the only indication of the seriousness of the situation. 

The Enterprise would fly on. Mission after mission, the bridge crew would take comfort in their world, their duty to Starfleet. This had been another exciting, but brief moment in their career. 

But for the girl... if she lived, this was to be a life altering situation for her. Jim thought she had looked young, a child even. 

James T. Kirk, as arrogant as he was capable and roguish as he was strong, suddenly began feeling an unfamiliar sensation creeping across the back of his neck. 

It was guilt.


	2. Remain Nameless

“Captain?” 

Spock returned from seeing Uhura back to the bridge. Kirk was still standing on the transporter pad, peering down at the quickly congealing blood spot. At the sound of his first officer, Kirk squared his shoulders and quickly put the image of the prone girl to the back of his mind. There were more important things to attend to. Specifically, the loss of one of their own. 

“Ensign Jeffery Dutch. Aged thirty-one years, been with Starfleet for six,” Spock said, handing a PADD to Kirk. Jim swiped across the screen, an image of the security officer and his personnel file displayed. 

“We're sure he died down there?” Kirk asked, letting the PADD scan his thumbprint for the death certificate. “I mean, I saw the way his body looked but...We didn't just condemn a man to a world of the past?” 

Spock examined Kirk's expression for a moment. The younger man was clearly schooling his face into one of neutral attitude. Most fascinating. Humans really did have to work at hiding their emotions. 

“While on the bridge I took the liberty of reviewing the vital signs of all members of our landing party for the duration of our mission,” Spock replied, retrieving the PADD. Kirk exited the transport room, Spock a mere half step behind. “The ship's computer registered and recorded a complete cease in bodily functions of Ensign Dutch. He died instantly, Captain.” 

Jim paused in the hall, turning to Spock. The Vulcan was, as always, completely unreadable by his facial expression. Though Jim knew it was Vulcan nature, he couldn't help but feel a spark of anger from deep within. 

“Is that meant to comfort me, Spock? A man died down there today and that's on me,” Jim snapped. Spock raised a sharp eyebrow. 

“It was neither meant to comfort or anger, Captain. It is merely fact. Though I can comprehend that the first loss of your crew is a difficult hurdle you will have to overcome. Such is the nature of your position.” 

Kirk exhaled deeply through his nose, stepping away from Spock as a red-shirted crew member passed. He nodded at the passing female officer, who saluted in return before continuing on her way. He peered after her retreating form for a moment, realizing he didn't even recognize her. 

“I didn't even know Dutch's name before this mission,” Kirk said slowly. “What kind of Captain doesn't even know his crew?” 

“One that commands a starship of over four hundred,” Spock replied. “It is not your job to roam the halls making friends.” The first officer entered a nearby turbolift, waiting expectantly for Jim. 

“It may not be my job,” Kirk replied, hurrying to catch up with Spock's long strides, “But it might be worth the effort. A good Captain knows who he serves.” 

Spock tilted his head slightly at Jim's choice of words. “That is, of course, at your discretion Captain. However, for the moment might I suggest we continue on with the present difficulties at hand?” 

The turbolift docked suddenly at the bridge. Jim paused only momentarily to square his shoulders and remove all traces of insecurity before striding confidently back to his command post. 

“Captain, I have accessed Earth's archives,” Uhura said as soon as she saw Jim. “If you can give me an approximate time, I might be able to narrow down what exactly happened down there.”

“I can give you more than an approximate,” Kirk replied, settling into his chair. “September 21st, 2013. What was then Spokane, Washington.” 

“Searching now.”

“I might point out that it is unlikely we traveled back in time, in the strictest sense,” Spock interjected. He tapped idly at a vertical console, bringing a second set of historical archives up across the crystal display. “As we all seemed to agree, the nature of the city didn't quite seem to match what we remembered from our history books. By 2013, the Eugenics Wars had come and gone and Earth was in a state of recovery. I saw no evidence of a civilization recovering from nearly entering a second Dark Ages.”

“So an alternate reality?” Sulu asked from his position at the helm. “Like with the Romulans?” 

Spock nodded. “I find that to be the most logical conclusion. Except where the Romulans were trapped in our universe via black hole, we were fortunate to encounter this alternate reality through a wormhole. A two way route, as we discovered.” 

“Well, according to our historical archives, Spokane was relatively unscathed physically during the Wars,” Uhura announced. “Most of the city was still intact and therefore a great draw to surrounding surviving human populations. It was later renamed Haven.” 

Kirk recognized the name. “Haven is a major city on the west coast of America.”

“Indeed,” Spock confirmed. “Not a leading political entity within the United Earth government but it does contain a rather sizable population and a few historical monuments.”

“Lt. Uhura, did anything happen in our history on September 21st, 2013?” Kirk asked. “In Hav- Spokane, I mean?” 

“Let me see... Yes. A gas leak led to an explosion in the vicinity of a popular outdoor market. Casualties numbered at fifty-six.” 

“Captain, a gas leak does seem consistent with what we witnessed,” Spock said. 

Kirk let himself fall heavily back against his chair. Steepling his fingers, he tapped them gently against his chin. 

“So our Earth shares specific similarities with this other Earth?”

“Eeef I may interrupt, Keptin,” Chekov said suddenly. “I haff been running calculations based on our travels within the wormhole.” Chekov stood and passed off his own PADD to Spock for him to double check.

“These appear to be sound, Ensign.” Spock replied. “I am inclined to agree.”

“What is it?”

“Well, we did travel to an alternate reality, that much is clear by the lack of evidence of the Eugenics War.” Spock began, handing the PADD to Kirk. 

“I thought that's what we just confirmed,” Kirk replied, scanning through Chekov's calculations. He furrowed his brow. “I'm sorry, this indicates that we traveled along our own time line, not an alternate.”

“Mr. Chekov ran schematics on what we witnessed down on Earth. The clothing, technology, vehicles, etc- all of these coincide with our own Earth's historical achievements. Specific events, such as the gas explosion, are relevant in both histories.” Spock turned and pointed to the archives he had pulled up earlier. “With one major exception, of course.”

“The Eugenics Wars,” Uhura answered. Spock nodded. 

“Captain, I believe we entered an alternate reality vastly similar to our own. The only difference being that this new Earth had no Eugenics wars. The Augments were never created.” 

“So what we were witnessing was the natural progression of our Earth had the Augments never rose to power,” Sulu realized. “That's incredible.” 

“Indeed, Mr. Sulu,” Spock agreed. “It would have been most fascinating to see the parallel of our own time in this new Earth, to see where they would be compared to our advancement.” 

“I am familiar with the Augments and the Eugenics Wars,” Jim said, passing the PADD back to Chekov, “What I don't understand is how this could be the only difference between our Earth and the second.” He glanced at Spock, an eyebrow raised. “Isn't that an awfully big assumption for a Vulcan to make?”

“I do not make assumptions, Captain. I make conjectures based on evidence at hand,” Spock replied. “Lt. Uhura, please display the data collected from our mission.” 

Against the backdrop of space, the images Spock collected from the second earth began to populate the display. 

“This statue,” Spock said, “Is former United States President Abraham Lincoln. A figure that exists in your history as well. The Harley motorcycles you found yourself so distracted by-” Again, images of a neat row of motorcycles were displayed to the bridge, “All are models found to have been manufactured in our time line.” 

“By matching ze bits of cultural information Commander Spock managed to collect, I waz able to create a program that compared this data to our own historical archives,” Chekov supplied then. “While it iz indeed a small sample, everything from the second earth matched our own history- down to ze gas explosion.”

“The only difference being that where it happened in a city recovering from a second middle ages in our time,” Kirk said, “in this time, in this reality- it happened to a city in a world where there was no Eugenics War.” 

“Precisely,” Chekov replied, beaming. 

“As it stands, this is only a hypothesis,” Spock added. “I would need to match other events in the history of the new Earth to our own time line in order to form a more stringent theory. This could be done by speaking to someone from this past reality.”

Kirk's communicator chirped suddenly. 

“Jim, if you have time, you might want to come to the sickbay.”

“McCoy, you have impeccable timing,” Kirk said, glancing back at Spock. “Well Mr. Spock, you might be able to form that theory. Bones, we'll be there soon. Kirk out.” 

“An explosion? That does seem consistent.” 

McCoy crossed his lab and picked up a small glass jar. He gave it to Kirk to examine. The several pieces of wood and metal and other various materials were collected within. “These were embedded throughout her body. Shrapnel from the explosion, I expect. It gave the appearance of bullet wounds at first glance. I thought we'd maybe been caught in a gunfight.”

“Do I detect a hint of disappointment, Doctor?” Spock inquired, taking the jar for his own examination. Bones shrugged, albeit a bit guiltily. 

“Bullets haven't been used in hundreds of years. It would have been interesting anyway.” 

Kirk's gaze was drawn by a lone figure in the sickbay. Ignoring his medical officer, Jim moved closer to the hospital bed. 

The girl was indeed young. She couldn't have been more than eighteen. Her skin was pale and gaunt against the rough medical grade sheets and blankets. Her body was positively engulfed in the plain white tunic and pants the nurses had changed her into. Scratches littered her exposed skin and Kirk could just make out the faint beading of sweat against her hairline. 

“She's stable, Jim,” Bones said suddenly, coming to stand beside him. “I stopped the bleeding, patched her up.” 

“When will she awake?” Spock asked, the jar of shrapnel still in his palms. “I am very curious to speak with her.” 

“Er, actually she won't,” Bones replied. “At least, not until I want her to.” 

Kirk ripped his gaze from the girl. “What do you mean?” 

Bones moved to stand next to the bed, adjusting the girls' IV and heart rate monitor. “Look, Jim, humans may not have evolved too much in the years since this girls' time, but medicine sure has.” He motioned to a row of hyposprays lined neatly across a table next to the hospital bed. “I am inoculating this girl against all of the diseases she could transmit to us- or us to her. I'm not putting anyone at risk.” 

“So you're keeping her in a medically induced coma,” Spock said. “I assume to reduce the stress on the body.” He picked up her medical charts and began poring over them. “Fascinating.”

While Spock was busy getting lost in the complexities of a girl from the 21st century, Bones pulled Kirk aside. 

“The coma is not just reducing stress on her body, Jim,” Bones said lowly, “But her mind as well.”

“I don't understand,” Kirk said, his eyes still on the time traveler. Bones put his own body between her and Kirk's gaze. 

“Damnit Jim! Don't you see? I have no idea how this girl is going to react when she becomes aware of what's happened to her. I might be a doctor but I'm not a psychologist.” 

“What would you have me do?” Kirk asked, “She's going to have to wake up eventually! We won't be able to keep the existence of the 23rd century a big secret.”

“I know, Jim!” Bones said gruffly. A passing nurse looked at them curiously. Bones shot her a look that sent her scurrying. Clearing his throat, he gestured back towards the girl. “She's gonna need real help, something a starship just isn't equipped for. We need to get her back to Earth. To Starfleet.”

“Back to Starfleet!” Kirk exclaimed. “We just began this year long mission. I can't have us turn back because of a mere hiccup.” 

“A time traveler is more that a hiccup, Jim-,”

“It's all a part of the mission, Bones!” Kirk snapped. “I am not going to compromise the integrity of the mission or the Enterprise just because we happened to encounter something out of the ordinary. That is the nature of our job, Bones.” 

“But-,”

“No buts, McCoy. Keep her sane or keep her asleep; I don't care.” He spared another glance at the pale child on the bed. “Either way, the mission goes on. Understood?” Before the medical officer could reply, Kirk strode out of the sickbay. 

Bones struggled to keep his temper in check. That damn ambition of Kirks' was going to cost him dearly. 

“For what it is worth, Doctor, I agree with your assessment,” Spock said suddenly, done with his own analysis of the girl. Bones snorted. 

“I guess there's a first time for us to agree on something Spock,” he replied. “Thanks.” 

“I will see if there are alternative solutions to this present situation. In the meantime, I suggest you continue to keep the child in a comatose state.”

Spock left Bones to his own devices. Leonard returned to the side of the girl. She was just a few years older than his own Joanna. Sighing, he prepped another hypospray. 

“Sorry kid.”

Miri was floating. Everything was blue and so soft and so comfortable. It was mostly silent.

But what was that humming sound? So gentle and faint. 

Was she dreaming? That must be it. _A nice dream, then._

But would she ever awaken? For being asleep, her body felt oddly weary. 

_Not entirely painless, either._

A sharp jab began to radiate from her midsection, winding upwards towards her eyeballs. 

_That's okay. It will be over soon._


	3. What the Water Gave Me

The mission resumed naturally, almost immediately. While much of the bridge crew was aware of a new passenger having joined the Enterprise, it was of little to no consequence. They had their orders. Uhura's thoughts might wander to the image of the young girl being carted away in McCoy's arms, and Ensign O'Connell might find himself guiltily peeking into the medical bay every now and then- but these instances were far and few between. 

With Kirk deciding to continue on with the year long survey mission, there was simply no room to let attentions be squandered upon a case of a time traveling girl. Outside the bridge and medical crew, few even knew of her existence. Engineering remained dedicated to the smooth operation of the Enterprise. The kitchens churned out meals for over four hundred souls. The hydroponics lab continued its growth and cultivation of plant life and samples recovered from planets. 

Life continued. 

Nearly a month had passed since the events surrounding her finding, and Kirk hadn't returned to her section of the sickbay once. He'd thrown himself completely into his work, determined now more than ever to show Starfleet he was capable of command. 

“I trust you are finding your mission to be a valuable learning experience?”

Jim smirked. “Surveying one uninhabited planet after another is becoming a bit monotonous, I will admit.”

Admiral Pike, healing slowly but surely from his encounter with Nero, smiled at the younger man. Settled in a comfortable office in London, he couldn't help but be recalled back to his own memories of being a new captain. He knew the survey missions could seem a bit dull, but every now and again a new race was discovered, or a revolutionary chemical compound that could change human life for the better... 

Kirk adjusted his desktop PADD so the image came in clearer. While they weren't exactly in deep space, the transmissions from Earth weren't reliable. 

“Sir?”

Pike pulled himself from his own musings on the good old days and leaned against his desk. 

“Hang in there kid. The first year is usually the hardest. Nothing but surveys and shuttling diplomats back and forth. Speaking of which...”

Kirk groaned. “Please don't tell me the Enterprise is being rented out as a taxi service.”

“'Fraid so. The Bolian Diplomat is in need of transportation to the Moropa flagship,” Pike replied. “The Enterprise is to make a detour to Bolarus IX and pick up one...” Pike glanced at a PADD to his right,”...Urdot Ardon. Transfer Ambassador Ardon to the Moropa flagship and you will offer your services in any way possible.”

“The Enterprise is not a political pawn, Pike,” Kirk complained, crossing his arms over his chest. “We are explorers. Seeking new life and all that.” 

Pike rolled his eyes. Hadn't the kid just been complaining about the endless survey missions? “Jim, the very nature of Starfleet ensures that some form of political interaction is required. The Federation is a peacekeeping and humanitarian armada, and I hate to break it to you, but Starfleet is included in that.” He punched a few commands into his PADD, sending data to Kirk. 

“As it stands now, Bolarus IX is not yet a member of the Federation, and the President, not to mention the rest of the council, wants them to be.” 

Kirk tapped at the Bolarus IX specs- history, statistics, technological advances, etc. 

“Starfleet's role, _as representatives of the Federation,_ is to facilitate the meeting of Ambasssador Ardon and Moropan diplomat T'alesum Wei. They have an burgeoning truce going and the Federation would like to see it continue. Got it?” Pike spoke to Kirk slowly, as if speaking to a child. 

For all of his confidence in the young man, Christopher knew Jim was quick to act and slow to think. He was a bright kid, but damn his impulsive ways got him into trouble. 

Jim added the information to his growing manifest.

“Understood, Admiral,” he conceded. Kirk supposed a bit of a break from surveying would make for a nice distraction. 

“Oh, before you go,” Pike said suddenly. His demeanor changed, face softening suddenly. “How are you holding up since the events on... Earth two?”

Kirk stiffened. He had sent the required report to Starfleet per regulations, but he purposefully left out the new passenger they had acquired. He didn't want a reason to have to return to Earth before the year was over. 

“As well as can be,” Kirk replied, running a hand over his face. “We held a ceremony for Dutch, of course. I assume the family was notified?”

Pike nodded. “Yes, as soon as we received your report.” He studied the young captain for a moment. “Jim, the first loss is always the hardest. You just have to carry on and make sure he didn't die in vain. Dutch knew the risks when he enlisted, and he was able to experience something that will be recorded in Federation history.” 

“I know. I just... I didn't even know him. And I sent him to his death.” Jim didn't know why he was suddenly opening up to Pike about this. Spock was the only one who had even seen a glimmer of the effect Jeffery Dutch's death had upon him. He supposed he valued Pike more than he realized. 

“So let this experience make you a better captain,” Pike said. “You can't be friends with everyone. You are the captain and therefore are held to a higher standard than everyone else. But if you know who you serve, they will follow you into any situation. They'll save your ass, Jim.”

Kirk and Pike said their goodbyes a few moments later and the connection was lost. Jim was left in his private quarters, the low hum of the Enterprise the only thing to keep him company. 

Know who you serve.

For the first time in nearly a month, Kirk found his thoughts wandering to the young passenger stowed away in the sickbay. He hadn't visited her and had kept pushing McCoy's reports to the side. Now, however, he brought up her information on his PADD. 

Patient Number: A-742B19  
Age: Exact unknown. Estimate between 14-19.   
Gender: Female.   
Appearance: Human. Caucasian, European ancestry.   
Identifying Marks: Birthmark on inner thigh. Signs of minor scarring on upper left arm, probably due an accident in early childhood. 

And that was it.

Kirk closed the file and stood from his desk. This girl was a part of the Enterprise now. She may not be crew, but she was his responsibility. It was time go to the sickbay. 

___________________________________________________________________

McCoy checked her vitals. In the near month since he had removed shrapnel from the young girl's body, he had become more and more invested in her well being. 

Of course, any doctor was invested in the welfare of a patient. But this particular patient was a special case.

He had elected to keep her in an induced coma. He had not been downplaying his competency to Kirk when he told the captain he was not a psychologist. True, Leonard had completed the necessary coursework in proper mental care while in school. He had endured the rounds in the psychiatric wards during his residency. But he was not an expert. 

Who was to say how this girl would react when she came to find out she had traveled to the future? That she had forever left behind her family, friends- her life?

Part of his role on the Enterprise was to keep the crew safe. Bones peered down at the prone form nestled in a bed of medical grade sheets and blankets. True, the young girl probably couldn't do much to a crew of over four hundred. And she had been inoculated against all diseases they could transmit to her- and her to them. 

That had been rough. 

Most vaccines were delivered throughout a person's life. At certain checkpoints: directly after birth and at the ages of two, seven, twelve, and finally twenty one. This reduced stress upon the body, and certain vaccinations were simply not necessary during periods of bodily development. 

But this girl, she required massive doses of compounds that were hardly in rotation anymore. Indeed, humanity had not evolved much in terms of appearance or genetic structure, but their susceptibility to certain diseases and viruses certainly had. The introduction to alien life forms into everyday society had also brought a whole host of plagues and epidemics. 

Of course now it was easy to vaccinate against such diseases. But for this girl, the routine of hypospray series she had to endure had wreaked considerable havoc upon her body. 

The coma ensured a bit of reduced stress. With major functions in a state of sleep, her body recovered quicker than had she been awake. But it was still rough going. Fevers, vomiting, rashes, disrupted breathing- the poor girl had endured all of these in the span of a month. 

But she was finally finished with the vaccinations. All there was left to do was... sleep, he supposed. 

“Let's see, Clover. How are you doing today?” He scanned her vitals with a well trained eye. 

Nurse Christine Chapel, positioned across the patient bed, looked up from her PADD, barely able to conceal a smile. Dr. McCoy had taken to calling the patient Clover. While normally she would disapprove of such informal relations between patient and doctor, she understood it in this case. Though McCoy was a hard ass, she worked with him closely enough to know a bit of his history- including the fact that he had a young daughter named Joanna. She glanced back down at the patient. While her exact age was unknown, they figured her to be in her mid teens. Just a few years older than McCoy's own child. And yet...

“Why Clover?” Christine asked suddenly. 

Bones paused, heat creeping up his neck. He hadn't realized he'd been calling the girl that out loud. 

“Is it because she survived? She's lucky?” Nurse Chapel continued. 

Bones cleared his throat. “Not that kind of Clover,” he replied- much to Christine's surprise. She figured he would have brushed her off like the gruff asshole he usually was. Bones gestured to the cabinet across the room, where the girl's clothing had been placed. A pair of jeans and one flowered blouse, both covered with dried blood and stuffed in a sealed bag. 

“The pattern on her shirt reminded me of this flower in Georgia,” Bones continued. He continued tapping at the patient's vitals. “It's really more of a weed. Out of place on the farm and no business being there. When I was a kid I would gather up a bunch of the purple buds and give them to my mother.”

Christine had a sudden image of a dark haired, serious looking boy presenting a clump of weeds to his mom. It was both a sweet and disturbing vision. 

“Clover,” she repeated. “I like it. Easier than saying patient A-742B19 all the time.” 

Bones made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat. 

“How is she?”

Bones turned in surprise. Kirk stood in the doorway, hovering over the threshold. Leonard didn't know if the hesitancy came from the fact that he hadn't visited since the girl had arrived, or if he was afraid he'd be hyposprayed into oblivion. Kirk was due for his annual series and Bones was known for being a bit... aggressive with his treatment.

“Well, we made it through the crucial period,” McCoy said. “She's up to date on vaccines and healed from the damage the explosion caused.”

“But...” Kirk prompted. He knew his friend too well. The pinched look on his face spoke volumes. 

“The induced coma. It helped with the recovery, but it's not good to keep someone under for so long, especially when it's not necessary.” 

Kirk moved further into the room, and for the first time since her arrival, peered down at the girl in the hospital bed. She was cleaned up, breathing steadily. Brown hair framed her youthful face in a soft, wavy bob. But she was pale and there was a tightness about her eyes, as if her slumber was not a peaceful one. 

“So you're recommending we wake her up. Introduce her to 23rd century?” Jim asked. Bones sighed and shrugged. 

“At this point, it's your call. I can try to keep her in a coma, or we wake her up and deal with the consequences. She doesn't pose any threat to the crew where disease is concerned.” He glanced back down at the girl. “I'm more concerned about what to do with her when she wakes up. A Federation Starship isn't exactly the most appropriate place for a child.” Bones paused for a moment. “Chekov is the exception.”

“Doctor, I believe I have found a solution to the girl's current state of being.” 

Spock appeared in the sickbay at that precise moment, carrying a metal case at his side. He strode deliberately towards them. 

Nurse Chapel felt herself grow warm at the presence of the Vulcan. Though she knew he had a relationship going with Lt. Uhura, Christine always found herself stammering in his presence. She quickly bustled from the room. 

McCoy glanced at the Vulcan. “Good, and it's about time too. I seem to recall you telling me you'd help research alternatives. A month ago.”

“Agreed,” Spock replied. “That is why I have made my presence known here now. It was not necessary before.” 

McCoy rolled his eyes. “Alright, smartass. Just tell me what you've come up with.” 

“Are you familiar with holodeck programming?” 

Kirk glanced at his first officer. “Yeah. We have holodeck capabilities on board, for both training and therapeutic purposes.” 

“I have modified holodeck technology to suit us here, in the medical bay,” Spock replied. Setting the metal case on a nearby desk, Spock withdrew a metal device from its contents. He handed it to McCoy, who turned it over in his hands. It was a slim, curved piece of metal, only about eight inches in length. Small wires and patches crisscrossed along the inside of the band. 

“What is it?”

“I have miniaturized a very specific holodeck sequence,” Spock replied. “I had Lt. Uhura find me all the information on Spokane she could. By combining this data with historical knowledge of the 21st century, I was able to replicate a scenario for this girl to exist in.” 

“Wait, I'm confused,” Jim said. “You want to put her in a holodeck program?” He glanced back at McCoy. “How would that keep her any saner than remaining in a coma?”

“One does not need to be in a coma for such an experience,” Spock answered. “In fact, entering a holodeck simulation will release the stress from her body. She will be brought to a very light form of consciousness.”

“But you can exit a holodeck any time you want, Spock,” McCoy replied. “Clover will still panic once she realizes she's on a starship and several hundred years in the future.” 

Spock raised a severe eyebrow. Kirk looked over at his Chief Medical Officer. “Clover?” 

McCoy shook his head. “Never mind,” he said roughly, “This still doesn't change our predicament.”

“Actually it does, Doctor,” Spock responded. “She will be entering the holodeck sequence from her coma. Once inside, her level of consciousness will be raised until she 'awakens.' This awakening occurs only within the holodeck, of course.” 

Understanding finally dawned upon Kirk. “So she'll think she's awake, even when she's not.”

“Precisely, Captain.” 

“And what will she be seeing exactly?” McCoy asked, still not sold on the whole idea. 

“A hospital. Patient A-742B19... Clover, will awaken in a hospital. She will be informed of her medical state and that attempts are being made to reach her family. Through these interactions, we may be able to glean some personal information, such as her name and age.” Spock took the metal band from McCoy. “And, if the captain approves, we can slowly start to introduce the truth of what happened, through the safety of this holodeck.” 

There was a moment of silence in the medical bay, the only sound coming from the shallow breaths of Clover and the occasional beeping of her vitals. 

“What do you say, Bones?” Kirk asked suddenly. 

McCoy looked down at the girl. It would be a healthier alternative to an induced coma. But still... something nagged at him. It felt a lot like trickery and deceit. Clover was going to awaken to what she assumed was the real world. How would she react when she was shown the truth? Would she be able to accept her life when reality finally set in? Were they even doing the right thing by keeping her on the Enterprise? Bones knew Kirk's stance on returning to Earth, but still... should he have fought harder against that course of action? 

Clover took a sudden shuddering breath, startling all three men. She hadn't awoken; her body was simply having a spasm from weeks of disuse. It made up McCoy's mind. 

“Do it.”   
__________________________________________

Miri was still floating. The humming noise was all around her. It cradled her, it felt safe. 

But she was not completely without of pain. Periods of blissful drifting were punctuated by fire stroking across her body. A needle-like sensation would jab into her neck, followed by both hot and cold flashes across her skin. Sometimes she felt the need to vomit, but nothing happened. 

Was she even in her body? Was this what they called an 'out of body experience?'

And she was so tired. How was it she could feel so exhausted without doing anything at all? 

Sometimes she though she could hear voices. 

A man's usually. But it was too faint to discern words or even identify language.

So she floated. Drifting aimlessly on a river with no direction. The current pulled her along. The humming ever present. 

But then...

“...hear me?”

What was that? 

“...voice...wake...”

Those were words. She recognized those. Straining her ears, she struggled to pinpoint the direction the voice was coming from. 

“listen... child, can...”

But there was no rhyme or reason to this river! Miri wanted to scream in frustration. No sense of up or down, east or west! It was both color and not color at the same time! Both silent and deafening at once! 

Suddenly, pain exploded just across her forehead. Miri opened her mouth in a silent scream. No words or sound could escape from her throat. The current pulling her along suddenly stopped. The water began rising and Miri began sinking. Cold, blackened water filled her open mouth and lungs. 

She gasped for oxygen that did not exist, clawed for purchase that would not meet her fingertips. It was all so loud, all so dull...

“You're okay. Just open your eyes.”

And then suddenly, she was awake. 

Her eyes opened to the sight of bright fluorescent lighting. It burned and stung her to tears, but Miri refused to return to the darkness that was not darkness. 

The pressure from her head ceased. A shadow suddenly fell over her, and for a moment Miri thought the river was about to swallow her once again.

But no, it was simply a face blocking the overhead light. 

“Hello,” the face said. “My name is Nurse Williams. Do you understand me?” 

Miri tried to remember how to speak. It was like she had swallowed cotton, her throat was so dry. 

“...where am I?” she finally managed to rasp. 

The face, a gentle looking woman, smiled. 

“You are at Spokane Valley Hospital. You've been in an accident, but you are going to be just fine.” 

“...accident?”

“Just relax for a moment. I am going to go get Doctor Kelley. He'll explain everything.”

The woman- Nurse Williams- her face disappeared and Miri was left staring at the fluorescent lighting lining the ceiling. Her senses were slowly coming to her. The smell of hospital antiseptic burned her nostrils. Daylight blurred at the edges of her vision. 

And yet, one thing still remained. 

A dull, yet very present humming filled the room. It seemed to reverberate within her ribcage. 

But she was awake, finally. No more river. No more drifting. 

Overjoyed at the use of her voice, painful though it was, Miri reassured herself. 

“You're okay,” she whispered. “Everything is fine.”


	4. Leave My Body

Miri didn't like this hospital. 

Of course, who liked hospitals to begin with?

But there was something... off about this whole place. The room, the people- everything. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something strange, something odd that prickled at the back of her neck constantly. 

Nurse Williams was perfectly nice to her. After returning with a Doctor Kelley, the sweet faced woman had murmured comfortingly to Miri while the pair checked her over. 

“There,” Williams said, raising the hospital bed into a sitting position. “That's better, isn't it?”

They asked her questions. Standard stuff, like her name and age, where she was born and if she had any previous medical conditions. But then it got a bit odder. 

Who was the first president? When was world war one? What year is it currently? What are some major world events within the last ten years?

“I'm sorry,” Miri asked. “What does this have to do with anything?”

Doctor Kelley, a slightly stooped man in his late sixties, smiled benevolently at her from the foot of her bed. He made a note on her chart. “We are trying to ascertain if there was any brain damage. You were hit pretty hard in the explosion.”

The explosion. 

A gas leak they said. Miri looked down at herself. She was dressed in a green hospital gown, an IV jammed into her left arm. Several other lines and tubes crisscrossed her body. She traced the soft plastic of one up to her chest. It ended over her lip, two projections nestled gently in her nose, supplying oxygen. 

“Can I take these out?”

Not yet, they said. Best to be on the safe side. 

It had been three days since her awakening, and her parents had still not been found. Had they been caught up in the explosion as well? They hadn't mentioned going to the market with her that day...

Perhaps she did have brain damage. Miri was having a hard time believing she wasn't hallucinating the whole experience. She was placed in a small, private room with white walls, white floors, and white ceiling. A singe window adorned the wall to her left. Bars covered the panes, but a gentle wind made the thick curtains flutter softly. 

Perched precariously on a high shelf in the corner was a dusty television. It didn't work. Directly across from Miri's bed was a glass door. From her position, she could see what appeared to be an administrative desk. Nurses and orderlies passed by her room every few moments. Messages were broadcast over the intercom with some regularity. 

It was, for all purposes, a standard looking hospital. But Miri couldn't quite get rid of the prickling sensation that hovered constantly over her neck.

The humming was ever present.

_Pulling me down. Pulling me down._

The only thing that had kept her company in the wide, never ending river. A gentle, low hum. Almost like the buzz of a fat bumblebee. It was duller, now that she was awake, but still present. 

“Do you hear that?” she finally asked Nurse Williams on the third day. The nurse, a heavier set woman in her early forties, paused their game of chess. Hand hovering over her queen piece, she cocked her head to the side. 

“Hear what, Miri?”

“That sound...” Miri shook her head. “Never mind. Your move.” 

Williams smiled and carefully moved the queen several paces. “Checkmate. I win this round.”

_________________________________________________________

“Welcome, Ambassador Ardon.”

Kirk extended his hand to the Bolian diplomat. Urdot Ardon, a jolly looking blue humanoid, grasped Kirk's hand and shook it enthusiastically. 

“Captain James T. Kirk,” the ambassador greeted jovially. “I have heard many things about you and your crew.” 

Kirk grinned. “All good, I hope.” He gestured to his right, “Speaking of my crew, this is First Officer Spock.” 

Spock offered the customary Vulcan salute, but the Bolian seized his hand and shook it emphatically. Jim would relish the look of momentary surprise on Spock's face for a very long time. It was not a reaction he was accustomed to seeing. 

“Splendid!” Ardon announced. “I can't tell you how pleased I am to finally be aboard the famous Enterprise.”

“Indeed,” the Vulcan replied once he had extracted himself from the enthusiastic attentions of the Bolian. 

The Enterprise had successfully retrieved the Bolian Ambassador and his party the day before. However, due to complications in the engine bay, it was only now that Kirk was able to officially greet the diplomat. Kirk began to apologize for the delayed meeting, but Ardon waved his hands absently.

“Ship business comes first, my boy! If you are really that upset about it, you can make it up to me now by giving me a tour of this wondrous craft.” 

They set off down the wide hallways of the Enterprise, a large party of Kirk, Spock, a yeoman, two security officers, plus Ardon's own company. 

“I recognize security when I see it, Ambassador Ardon, but may I ask about the two others in your party?” Jim asked as they walked. 

“Yes, of course! How could I forget?” Ardon motioned to a lithe, stoic looking Bolian to his left. “Hontoro Enon, my assistant.” 

Jim nodded politely, but Enon never broke the rather grim look frozen upon his face. He appeared to be young- though with Bolian anatomy it was impossible to say for sure. He walked with purpose and confidence, despite having never stepped foot upon the Enterprise before now. Jim didn't miss the look in Enon's eyes as they darted across one side of the hallway to the other. 

Jim wasn't naive. Enon was much more than an assistant. Jim figured private bodyguard, perhaps more skilled than the Bolian guards mixed in with Enterprise's own security officers. Glancing down slightly, Jim's suspicions were confirmed by a brief glimpse of a phaser peeking over the folds of Enon's clothing.

Ambassador Ardon's neglect to mention Enon's true position meant that perhaps the Bolians didn't quite yet trust the Federation. Kirk hoped that this facilitation mission would win them brownie points.  
“...and Miss Sulight-,”

_Hellooo,_ Jim thought to himself as his eyes shifted to the other non-security member of the Bolian party, now revealed to be named Sulight. She was a tall, voluptuous woman, with full lips and skin cast in a rather fetching shade of blue. She caught his gaze and winked. 

“-Ardon, my daughter,” the Ambassador finished. Jim cleared his throat. Well that certainly put a damper on things, now didn't it? 

Spock watched his captain with some amusement. He had known Kirk long enough now to know what had been transpiring in his head. Still, Sulight's parentage didn't stop Kirk much. The roguish captain planted a kiss on Sulight's hand, who giggled charmingly. 

“Pleasure to meet both of you,” Jim replied, a grin hovering over his lips. Sulight didn't withdraw her hand immediately; instead, she intertwined her arm with his own. Jim wasn't complaining. “Shall we continue the tour?” 

He took them on a standard run of the Enterprise. Spock was always a half step behind, quietly observing the entire exchange. Despite Kirk's earlier moaning and groaning, the young captain did know how to play nice with politics when it came down to it. The tour covered the more interesting spots on the ship: the massive engine bay and science labs and the archival rooms. 

“This particular area is vital to on board operations,” Kirk continued seamlessly as they finished their rotation through the hydroponics bay. “Not only does it grow the food we eat and house samples of the plant life taken from survey missions, but it will prove vital should the Federation decide to attempt a five year expedition.” 

“I had heard you were vying for the first long term mission, Captain Kirk,” Sulight said. Her voice was cool and clear, her arm still wrapped about Jim's. “But do you not use replicators for food?” 

Kirk nodded. “Of course. But replicators consume energy. The Federation is constantly exploring other options to replicator-only standards.” He grinned at the pretty Bolian. “Plus, having more traditionally created food on board keeps the crew happy. There are only so many replicated molecules one can consume before becoming a bit... cranky.”

The tour was just making its ways to the upper decks of the Enterprise when McCoy suddenly emerged from the holodeck simulation room. Head bent over a PADD, he stopped just short of crashing into one of the Bolian security guards.

“Ambassador Ardon, this is my Chief Medical Officer Leonard McCoy,” Kirk introduced. Ardon shook the doctor's hand, but his attention was focused on the doors closing behind Bones. 

“Oh my, is that a holodeck?” The diplomat asked. 

“Indeed,” Spock answered. “The Enterprise is the first starship to have one on board. The Federation hopes to make such technology available on all its ships.” 

“Amazing,” Sulight replied. “I have of course heard of such technology, but I have never had the opportunity to use such a device. Is it possible to do so while on board the Enterprise?”

“The holodeck is being used to treat a patient,” Bones said gruffly. “It's not available to tourists.” 

“Thank you, Doctor McCoy,” Kirk said pointedly. Bones shuffled a bit and straightened his lab coat. 

“Er, maybe sometime in the future,” he amended. “Miss.” Nodding to Sulight, he excused himself then, burying his nose back into his PADD. 

The tour quickly resumed and fifteen minutes later, Kirk was leaving the diplomats for the bridge.

“Yeoman Rand here will see to anything you need, Ambassador. You are free to move about the ship, but I ask that you are accompanied always by a member of my crew,” Kirk said as warmly as he could. Though the Bolians appeared to be friendly, he still didn't want a group of non-Federation diplomats running about the Enterprise unchecked. He stared at Hontoro Enon's retreating back. Especially with him in the picture. Kirk couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something about that particular Bolian that rubbed him the wrong way. 

“You did well, Captain,” Spock said in the privacy of the turbolift. “For your first diplomatic envoy, things are progressing smoothly.” 

Jim pulled at the neck of his dress uniform. Damn thing had been itching something fierce for the past hour and a half. “If I wanted to work with politicians I would have applied to the Federation Council,” he groused as he loosened his cufflinks. He exited the lift, fidgeting with his collar still. 

“Keptin, we should be reaching the Moropa flagship by tomorrow,” Chekov said by way of greeting. Kirk was immediately given several reports requiring his signature. Signing as he walked, Kirk glanced at the young ensign. 

“Good work, Chekov. Sulu, how's she flying?” 

The helmsman enlarged his display to show the power readings of the Enterprise. “Better than yesterday sir, but we are not at maximum power.” 

Kirk flopped into his chair, finally wrenching the collar of his uniform open. “Scotty,” he said into his comm. “What's the status of that blown power coupling?” 

After a moment of silence, the familiar thick brogue of the Chief Engineer wafted through the comm system. “I've got a replacement being built as we speak, Cap'n. Fer the time bein' we're going to have ta settle with reduced power in our warp core. Shouldn't be but a few more days before I can attach the new one.” 

“Sounds good, Scotty,” Kirk replied. He settled back into his chair, taking a moment to collect his thoughts.

To his left, a familiar icon blinked on his personal PADD. It was a medical report from McCoy, likely an update on the girl's condition. Kirk tapped idly at the screen for a few moments before sliding the device to the side. 

Kirk had more important things to worry about. His crew, the Enterprise, and the upcoming meeting between two politicians that weren't exactly on the best of terms. 

The girl could wait. 

_______________________________________________________________________

McCoy, having finished his rounds with the three other patients in the sickbay, found refuge in his office. Collapsing into his chair, Leonard rubbed his aching temples. A migraine was beginning to form. These morons were going to be the end of him. Three ensigns from the armory had decided that it had been a fabulous idea to reprogram their lieutenant's replicator to spit out a never ending supply of stuffed rabbits. 

He assumed it was a play on Lt. Hare's name. Whatever the reason, the officers, normally responsible for little more than the care and cataloging of the various weaponry within the armory, had soon discovered their knowledge of replicator logistics was not exactly up to par. After a few moments of toys spewing from the replicator, it malfunctioned with a minor, yet forceful explosion. Lt. Hare had found the officers unconscious on the floor of his private quarters, surrounded by the innards of stuffed rabbits.  
McCoy rolled his eyes and reached into a filing cabinet just to his right, pulling out a well loved bottle of Tennessee whiskey. Luckily the idiots had only endured minor bumps on the heads. After Nurse Chapel administered the necessary pain suppressants, the three would be free to return to the awaiting wrath of Lt. Hare. 

McCoy would have like to have skipped the pain medication altogether, but he figured that went against his job description. Doctor's oath and all that. He poured himself a small glass of the amber liquid, forgoing any ice and sipping it neat. His headache lessened slowly. The few moments of relaxation subsided quickly, however. McCoy's eye landed on the PADD he'd tossed haphazardly onto his desk a few hours before. It contained Clover's information. 

Or rather, Miri Alexander's. 

Spock had altered holodeck technology to interact with Miri's unconscious state. As such, her experiences were internalized. For any information to be gleaned from the girl, someone had to join her in her environment. Spock had linked her altered reality to the actual, physical holodeck simulation pod located three levels below the medical bay. After two days of monitoring Clover's physical condition and seeing an improvement to her overall health, McCoy had Spock show him how to use the holodeck. 

“Are you quite sure you wish to be the one to enter the simulated environment?” The first officer asked as he tapped code into the control panel. Jim was there too, carefully watching his medical officer. 

“Yeah, Bones, you hate anything to do with artificial intelligence,” he said. “You get into an argument with the ship's computer at least once a week.” 

McCoy rolled his eyes. “I don't hate artificial intelligence. It just doesn't have the same gut instinct a human does.” 

Spock, barely pausing his typing, raised an eyebrow. “I find this 'gut instinct' to be something you and the captain reference often. I believe you are romanticizing simple human impulse and overreaction.” 

“We can't all be robots,” McCoy sneered. Spock was unaffected. 

“There. You are linked to her current environment. I advise against interacting with her. Simply locate the medical chart the programs should have compiled. You can speak to them should you need assistance,” he intoned. 

“Yeah, yeah,” McCoy muttered. 

Dressed in simple scrubs and a white lab coat, McCoy had entered the holodeck room- a wide, cavernous pod at the moment. But soon after his approach, the program started up and he found himself in a very real looking hospital. It had been easy to see why it had taken Spock nearly a month to complete the data sequencing for the environment. While the ship's computer was perfectly capable of accomplishing such a task, Spock had fleshed out the hospital hallways and people with careful, minute details. Pictures on the walls, get well soon balloons fluttering in and out of patient rooms- that sort of thing. Doubtless things the Vulcan had noticed during their brief foray into 2013 Earth. 

“Doctor McCoy?” 

He nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of his name. Turning quickly on his heel, a program stood before him with a smile on her face. Jesus, this was realistic. 

“We've been informed of your arrival and request for information,” the program said. She was a middle aged, heavier set woman with a kind face. Her blonde hair was pulled back neatly and her scrubs were a cheerful pink with teddy bears decorating them. A little metal tag with the name Williams was pinned to the face of a particularly unlucky teddy. “If you follow me, I can get you the patient charts.”

Leonard followed the program down the wide, bustling halls of the hospital. Spock had stashed Clover in the very last room, tucked next to a stairwell. Mindful of Spock's advice to avoid interactions, he hovered near the doorway while Nurse Williams entered ahead of him. 

“Good morning, Miri!” he heard the program greet. 

Despite himself, McCoy peered into the room, careful not to draw too much attention to himself. The nurse was fussing over a very familiar form.

Miri. So that was her name. The young girl, awake and talking in this environment, nodded back at whatever her nurse was saying. She had archaic looking oxygen tubes emerging from her nose. A heart monitor beeped in the background. All unnecessary, of course. But it served to make the illusion more real. Extras in this play they were putting on. 

Miri glanced towards the door. McCoy backed away before she could spot him. A moment later, Nurse Williams appeared with a clipboard. 

“Here you are, Doctor,” she said cheerfully. “You should be able to input this into your personal access display device.” Remembering why he was even here, Leonard withdrew his PADD from inside his lab coat. A simple scan, and he was done. Nurse Williams took back the clipboard. “Is there anything else you require, Doctor?” McCoy glanced back at the room. The program seemed to follow his gaze. “Do not fret. We will take good care of her.” 

McCoy swallowed. “Yes, of course. Thank you.” He tucked away the PADD and glanced about himself. “...End program,” he muttered. Nurse William's smiling face disintegrated suddenly. The walls and noises of the hospital collapsed upon themselves, leaving McCoy once again in a wide, open room.

Spock and Kirk had disappeared, tasked with greeting the Bolian diplomats for their tour of the Enterprise. He had been so caught up in poring over Miri's file that he'd nearly bowled over the entire party as they strolled by the holodeck room.

McCoy drained the last of his whiskey, but didn't refill his glass. Instead, he stood from his desk and made his way to the room just off his office. 

Miri- her real life counterpart- lay still in her biobed. They had positioned her here, in a more secluded area of the medical bay, to ensure nothing could accidentally upset her holodeck neurotransmitters.

She really did remind him of his Joanna. The two girls looked nothing alike, of course. Joanna had inherited her mother's rich red hair and freckles. But McCoy, though it had been a while since they last spoke, saw himself in his daughter's expressive brown eyes. And this girl, this slip of a thing lying helpless in a biobed, reminded McCoy of the many nights he used to watch over his own daughter whenever she was ill. 

Shaking his head, McCoy inputted the data he had gathered from the simulation. The chart above the biobed adjusted accordingly. Patient A-742B19 disappeared and the name Miri Alexander was suddenly displayed. 

That night, after he had sent his report to Kirk and finished the last of his rounds, McCoy found himself in his private quarters. Before he could change his mind, Leonard had dialed in an off ship comm call. It was only a few moments before someone answered. 

“Jocelyn? Hey. No, everything's fine. Yeah, I'm good. Listen... is it possible to talk to Joanna? I know, it's late... thanks.” McCoy waited patiently. It wasn't long before he heard a voice that made his heart melt. 

“Daddy...”


	5. Breaking Down

It wasn't long before Jim found himself before the doors of the holodeck. 

He'd try to ignore the niggling feeling that had been bothering him for the past month. That pit in his stomach, that tingling feeling across his skin. It was guilt, but he refused to acknowledge it fully. 

Stubborn ass, Pike liked to call him.

Jim had messed up before, sure. He was impulsive, loud, and self important. He knew it and, despite what he was sure Spock and the rest of his crew thought, he was trying to control himself a bit more. Especially as captain of the Enterprise. This girl had just been in the wrong place. He didn't determine her fate. He'd done his job... right? 

Graveyard shift. Kirk glanced down at his watch. Though there was never truly night on the Enterprise, there were of course shifts broken up throughout the standard working hours. Currently the so-called night staff were roaming the halls. It was funny, Kirk mused to himself. Even though there were just as many people out and about during this secondary rotation, the corridors of the Enterprise still felt empty and static, as if night really had descended upon the starship.

He himself should have been catching precious few hours of sleep in his quarters. McCoy would kill him if he logged yet another sleepless night. Kirk felt a grin twist over his lips. Bones liked to play the hard ass, but deep down he really did care for his crew mates.

And his new charge, as of late. Jim had seen the tender way McCoy had looked after the girl, even giving her that bizarre nickname. Clover. 

She certainly wasn't a lucky one.

Almost without thought, Kirk punched in the data sequencing for their little guest's illusion. The halls of the Spokane Valley Hospital were practically deserted. A night nurse was settled at the administrative desk. He glanced up briefly to lock eyes with Kirk, then resumed whatever fake business Spock had programmed him to attend to.

Her room was the very last. Unlike McCoy, who hours before had hovered uncertainly in the doorway, Kirk ventured fully into her room. She was asleep. Artificial moonlight shone through the single window, bathing her bed slightly in its soft glow.   
Miri. 

Contrary to what he was sure McCoy thought, Kirk did indeed read the report. After dinner with the Bolians, Kirk had found himself skimming through the file, unable to sleep. Reading her name- her real name- spurred him to the holodeck. He really had no business here, peering down the bed like some type of peeping tom. 

She murmured softly in her sleep. It startled Kirk. Suddenly, the environment felt devastating real. The consequences of his actions were building up against the wall he had built. Backpedaling quickly, Kirk nearly ran from the room.   
Dammit. What had he gotten himself into?

What had he gotten her into? Jim had never really felt the weight of his position until this very moment. Suddenly, the crushing realization that he was responsible for someone other than himself coursed through his veins, turning them to ice.   
Running a hand over his weary face, Jim was suddenly very tired, and his private quarters beckoned to him. 

“End...”

He trailed off before finishing the command to dissolve the simulation. Had that been movement down the hall? 

Surely just another program?

The air shifted. Changed pressure in that familiar way that made you realize someone was there with you. Kirk's neck prickled with the change in atmosphere. He slowly made his way down the corridor, peering into the various rooms as he went. Most were empty. Not even fake patients programmed into the beds. He did a quick sweep of the floor, feeling rather foolish as he did so. He returned to the night nurse. 

“You,” he said as he approached. “How many programs are present at night?” The program was a tall, balding man with dark skin. He glanced at Kirk and the captain could practically see information about him downloading into the nurse's data sequencing.   
After a moment, “Just me, sir. If you would like more, please enter the specifications in the ship's-,”

“No. No, that's not necessary.” Kirk shook his head slightly, as if to clear the cobwebs. 

He'd been on edge all day. The Bolians had consumed much of his attention. Especially Hontoro Enon. The yeoman assigned to him had reported high activity from the Bolian. Though he had been escorted in all cases, Enon was not content to remain in his room like the rest of his party. Jim wasn't jumping to any conclusions, but he'd strengthened the guard in the Bolian section of the Enterprise. 

Jim was just tired from the constant vigilance. Here in this artificial environment, confronted with the results of his carelessness, he was getting jumpy. 

He was looking for ghosts where there were none. 

“End program.” 

Jim left the holodeck environment without a backwards glance. It was time to move on. He'd need a good night's sleep if tomorrow's negotiations were to go well.

__________________________________________________________________________

Of course, nothing went well. 

Two hours. Two fucking hours into negotiations was all he managed until things went to absolute hell. 

How did it go to shit so quickly?

The Moropan exchange had gone off without a hitch. They'd come upon the flagship Elias on time, despite the Enterprise's lowered power levels. The Moropan diplomat, Ambassador T'alesum Wei, had beamed aboard with a small party. There had been no complications. Ambassador Ardon and Wei had even greeted each other amicably. 

As a Federation vessel, Kirk's role was to simply facilitate the negotiations of the two non-Federation civilizations. No interference, unless violence seemed likely. 

Violence did indeed find them, as luck would have it. 

It was about two hours into talks when Ambassador Ardon slumped over, his normally blue skin turning a rather startling shade of green. 

“Father!” Lady Sulight yelped. The conference room was suddenly in an uproar. T'alesum Wei stood suddenly, her thin face going white. Her third eye, placed in the very center of her high forehead, blinked rapidly at the slouched man she had been speaking to only moments before. 

“McCoy. I need you in the conference room,” Kirk said quietly into his comm. He crossed the room and pulled the quivering Sulight off her father. “Spock,” he motioned for the Vulcan. 

Spock knelt beside Ambassador Ardon, gently placing his fingers upon the Bolian's face. After a few moments of contemplation, Spock turned to Kirk. “He is alive, Captain, but only just.” 

McCoy entered at that moment, a med kit in hand. He wasted no time with questions, heading straight for the unconscious diplomat. 

“If everyone could remain calm,” Kirk began, “Chief Medical Officer McCoy will see to the Ambassador. In the meantime, I suggest-,”

“Traitors!” Sulight screeched suddenly, wrenching herself from Kirk's grasp. She seized her father's wine glass from the conference table and flung its contents across the floor. “You Moropan scum poisoned him!” 

Amidst the ruby liquid diffusing over the floor was a small lump. Perhaps once a white budded flower, it was now stained purple from the wine. Its petals curled inwards as they met the air. 

“N-no!” T'alesum Wei replied, her hands coming up defensively. “We are here for peace talks. We would not-,”

“Lies!” Sulight interrupted. She made as if to fling herself upon the Ambassador, but Kirk regained hold over the hysterical woman. 

“Lady Sulight!” he said firmly. “We can't start throwing out accusations until McCoy finishes his examination.” 

“Captain!” his comm chirped suddenly from his side. “Captain! The transport room has been breached! We are receiving-,”

A loud shout followed by the sound of phaser fire ended the comm. A heavy silence filled the conference room. There was a moment of complete stillness before Kirk jumped into action. 

“McCoy, get Ambassador Ardon to the sickbay. You-,” he motioned to two Enterprise security officers, “-take Wei to the engine bay.”

T'alesum and her party quickly followed one security officer from the room. Likely they were grateful to escape the murderous gaze of the remaining Bolian party. Kirk instructed the other officer to take Sulight and the other Bolians to the sickbay.   
When the conference room had cleared, Spock and Kirk were left. The pair removed their phasers from their belts. 

“Spock, would you care to explain to me how intruders beam aboard when we are out of range from any ship- the Moropan Elias included?” Kirk asked as they entered the hallways. “And through our shields as well?”

“I do not know, Captain,” Spock replied, his eyebrow cocked in contemplation. “But I intend to find out.” The Vulcan paused his examination of his phaser. “But did you notice who was absent from negotiations?”

Kirk nodded. Hontoro Enon. Did the mysteriously silent Bolian have something to do with this? Quickly making their way down the halls, Kirk and Spock met no one on their path towards the transport room. 

That is, until they found the crumpled body of Ensign Dietrich., the security officer assigned to Sulight's party. Spock crouched and quickly checked the fallen officer's pulse. 

“Alive, Captain. Just stunned.” 

They moved the ensign into a nearby room, sealing the door. They continued down the abandoned halls, straining their ears for any sign of the enemy. 

It did not take long.

“Good work, Captain.”

The pair were met with a row of phasers pointed in their direction. It was Sulight who spoke, but it was not directed at Kirk. A tall, broad shouldered Bolian Kirk had never seen before stood next to Sulight. He wore what appeared to be the Bolian military uniform, but it had none of the standard fare and regalia the Empire usually displayed. Kirk could see the faint shadows where such patches and honors had once been bestowed, ripped out by their stitching. A rebel, perhaps?

Kirk and Spock were quickly relieved of their own weapons. Kirk raised his hands upwards in an almost lazy sign of submission. 

“I apologize, Captain, for inviting the crew of the Chindi on board without your permission,” Sulight said. “They were getting a bit antsy trailing behind the Enterprise.”

“No apologies necessary,” Kirk replied, a shadow of a grin ghosting over this lips. “Though, we could have arranged for a much less dramatic entrance. What is the meaning of this, Lady Sulight?”

Inwardly, Jim was calculating exactly how he was going to break the neck of the three nearest Bolians without managing to get shot. Outwardly, he upheld his rather genial display. The Ambassador's daughter stood lazily next to the rebel Captain, a smirk hovering over her lips, and Jim wasn't quite sure if he'd be able to resist clocking her up the side of the head if he had a chance. 

“This?” Sulight said, gesturing to her suddenly expanded party. “This is what you call politics. And you, or rather the Federation, is what you would call a scapegoat.” She grinned, no trace of her former hysterics in her eyes. She glanced at her rebel Captain. “Or is it perhaps a martyr? A catalyst?” She pouted slightly. 

“I assume you are attempting to reinstate war with the Moropans,” Spock said. “Though I do not understand why your father has to die.” 

Sulight shrugged. “He was weak. He actually wanted peace with the Moropan filth. He will serve the cause better in death than in life. All I have to do is return to the Emperor with a sad story of how the Moropans assassinated the Bolian diplomat.” She affected a tearful countenance then, her lip quivering with false grief. _“And then, Emperor Jiro, they turned on the Enterprise, slaughtering every crew member. It was only sheer luck that we managed to escape on the Chindi.”_ She winked at Kirk. “Pretty convincing, don't you think? I've been practicing.” 

Kirk blinked at Sulight, who was busy wiping away nonexistent tears. “That's... a ridiculous plan. Seriously. You'll never get away with it.” 

It was a rather cliched response, like something from an old action vid. But Kirk was astounded by the obtuse nature of the woman before him. Judging from Spock's raised eyebrows, his first officer felt similarly. 

Sulight raised a blue eyebrow. “It's working so far, isn't it?” she turned to the Bolian on her right. “Captain Azeal. Leave your men to deal with them. You and I need to return to the Chindi.” 

“Men,” Captain Azeal grunted. He escorted the Lady Sulight away, leaving Kirk and Spock to face a firing squad of five Bolians. 

“Any ideas?” Kirk muttered to his first officer. 

“Not at present, Captain,” Spock replied. 

“Perfect.”

The Bolians raised their phasers. Kirk tensed, ready to charge. But before the first shot could be fired, a blur of a figure hurtled out of nowhere, tackling two Bolian thugs to the floor. Kirk didn't waste any time. He rushed the nearest Bolian, catching him across the throat in a vicious clothesline. Spock was close behind, quickly disarming his own attacker with a well placed right hook. It was over almost as quickly as it began. Kirk turned to thank their savior, and was surprised by who he saw. 

Hontoro Enon stood from his crouch, straightening his clothes.

“Huh,” Kirk said. He wasn't expecting that. Enon turned towards Kirk, a small sliver of blackish blood trickling down the Bolian's chin. Clearly his little rescue wasn't the first altercation the mysterious man had endured since the sudden attack. 

“I apologize for my lateness,” Enon rasped. “I was attempting to disable the transporter room.” He glanced up and down the hall. “I was not successful. We should move now. Others will be on the way.” 

“Captain,” a voice came from Kirk's fallen comm. 

“Go ahead Sulu,” he replied, not taking his eyes off Enon.

“I'm reading more forms beaming aboard.”

“We should head to the bridge, Captain,” Spock said. Kirk nodded and set off, expecting the Bolian to follow. There was no time for an interrogation as to where his loyalties lay. Enon hadn't killed them; that was enough for the time being. 

“Care to explain what is going on?” Kirk asked as they entered the turbolift. He glanced sidelong at the Bolian. Enon seemed extremely calm for the situation.

“Despite the Emperor's attempts at peace with the Moropans, many Bolians are not pleased with what they see as surrender,” Enon replied. His voice was deep. Hoarse. Kirk realized the last few sentences were the first he'd heard Enon speak the entire time he was on the Enterprise. “An underground resistance has been steadily forming over the past few years. We gained intelligence that the resistance would attempt to disrupt today's negotiations.”

“We?” Kirk said.

“Ambassador Ardon and Emperor Jiro,” Enon supplied. “Though, I don't think Ardon suspected it would be his daughter.” 

“And you didn't think to inform me of the possibility of an assassination attempt on my own ship?” 

Hontoro Enon turned his blank gaze upon Jim. “We are not Federation, Captain Kirk. It was not your business to know.” 

They docked at the bridge then, forestalling any angry outburst from Kirk.

“Seal the bridge,” Kirk barked as they disembarked the turbolift. 

“Lift locked!”

“Red alert enabled.”

“Locking down corridors four through seven.”

Kirk strode to his chair as the bridge crew listed status updates from their respective stations. “Chekov, broadcast ship wide.”

“Aye, keptin!”

“This is Captain James Kirk,” he began from his console. “There has been a security breach. We have been boarded. All non-essential personnel are to hereby confine themselves to their quarters. I repeat, non-essential personnel are on lock-down.” He paused his broadcast. “Spock, did the Moropan party get to a safe zone?” 

“Secure passage had been successfully navigated, Captain,” the first officer replied. “Scotty has confirmed their arrival in the Engine Bay. They've sealed the doors.” 

Kirk nodded. “Bones?” he said into his comm-link. “Status update on the Bolian ambassador.” There was static, and for a moment Jim felt his heart leap into this throat. “Bones!” he barked. 

“Dammit, Jim, I heard you the first time!” the doctor cursed. “The med-bay's gone crazy as a sprayed roach!”

“I do not understand that colloquialism,” Kirk heard Spock say in the background. He ignored him. 

“Are you locked down?” Kirk asked, toning down his voice a bit. A pissed off McCoy would help no one. The doctor sighed over the comm.

“Yeah. We took all the injured we could and then sealed the doors. They won't hold for very long should they decided to come sniffing around, though.” 

Kirk nodded, though he knew Bones couldn't see him. “I need an update in two minutes. Kirk out.” 

He tossed the comm to the side. “Sulu, contact Starfleet. Inform them of the Bolian insurgence.”

“Captain- I can't do that.” Sulu replied. Kirk paused. He wasn't accustomed to hearing no from his crew. 

“What do you mean you can't?” 

“The Enterprise, sir, she's... unresponsive,” the helmsman replied. “We can't even adjust our heading.” He played at his controls in frustration, entering code after code into the ship's computer. “We have some control over internal capabilities; sealing the doors, atmospheric conditions. But these are swiftly losing power.” 

“Keptin, I haff located a problem within our system,” Chekov announced suddenly. “There appears to be a virus running throughout the ship's computer.” He displayed the readings across the view screen. Spock furrowed his brow. 

“That is... highly illogical. Are you sure these readings are sound, Ensign?” 

The young man nodded, his mouth set in a grim line of determination. 

“Mr. Scott,” Kirk said into his comm. “Do you read?”

“Aye, Captain.”  
“Can you do anything about the Enterprise from your location?”

“Negative. I'm completely locked out of the ship's computer. Other than physically altering the engines and warp core, I can't change anything. And even then, we wouldn't go anywhere.” 

Kirk grit his teeth and turned to Enon. “Want to explain that to me?”

Enon was unfazed by the anger bubbling just under the surface. He withdrew a small cube. Pressing a button, a holographic image was projected. “Part of our intelligence included looking for a disruptor of some kind. Something that would essentially make the Enterprise unable to defend itself.” Half finished schematics scrolled over the cube. “It sounds like it works.”

“I don't understand,” Uhura said. She was busy trying to get off- ship communications to work. “Why go to all this trouble? If they have control of the ship's computer, why not just cut the atmosphere? Wait for everyone to suffocate?” 

“They need evidence,” Kirk realized. “Sulight called the Federation a catalyst.”

Enon nodded. “The Emperor would never support an outright attack against the Moropans. He wants peace more than anyone. But if it were to appear the Moropans attacked first- the Emperor would have no choice to declare war. I imagine the Bolian insurgents are equipped with Moropan weaponry.”

“With the destruction of Enterprise crew, the Federation would pledge their financial and military support to the Bolians,” Spock mused. “Perhaps not such a ridiculous plan, Captain.” 

“We'll compliment Lady Sulight on her scheming later, Spock,” Kirk replied. “For now, we need to disable that disruptor. Enon, any idea where it's located?” 

“No,” the Bolian replied. “I've been searching for it ever since we boarded. It has to be located on the Enterprise for it to work.” 

“Chekov, are the ship's internal scanners still working?” 

“Aye, keptin. I'll run a scan now.” 

Kirk's mind was whirring, mentally going through every nook and cranny he knew to exist on his ship. 

“Eventually the disruptor will override the security doors, Captain Kirk,” Enon said. 

“Yeah, well, we'll have to find it before it does,” Kirk replied. His comm chirped. “Bones, what do you have?”

“The ambassador is alive,” Bones said. “He was poisoned. I analyzed the plant Miss Sulight found in his wine glass. It's Moropan milkweed. It wasn't applied in a strong enough dose though.”

“Well, at least we've got that going for us,” Kirk mumbled. 

“Captain, the scanners aren't picking up anything,” Spock announced. “Enon, are you sure this is what the insurgents are using to control the Enterprise?” 

Enon nodded. “It has to be. The Enterprise's shields are too strong for an outward attack like this. It has to be coming from inside the ship.” 

Chekov glanced back at his data screen. “But vhere could zey be hiding it?” 

A loud explosion could be felt from a lower deck. 

“Captain, they will not stop until everyone on board is dead,” Enon said morosely. “I have no suggestions for you.” 

But Kirk was not listening. He sat in his chair, fingers steepled against his chin. 

Sulight was the brains of this, correct? What did he know about the Ambassador's daughter? He'd been so preoccupied with the unsettling presence of Enon that he'd never been concerned by the charming Sulight. 

Where had she been during her time on the Enterprise? During their tour, what was she most interested in?

_“Do you not use replicators for food?”_

_“Oh my, is that a holodeck?"_

_“I have heard of such technology, but I have never had the opportunity to use such a device.”_

Kirk shot upright suddenly. 

“Spock! The holodeck.” 

The first officer's eyes narrowed. “That would be a logical place to hide something, Captain, considering what we are currently using it for.” 

“I was in the holodeck last night,” Kirk said, pacing back and forth. “I thought something was off, but I figured it was just exhaustion.” He slammed his hand on a console. “Dammit! She probably sneaked in while I was using it.” 

If Spock was surprised by Kirk's admission of using the holodeck, he did not show it, true to Vulcan demeanor. 

“I would not beat yourself up too much, Captain,” Enon rasped. “Though Sulight is not the strongest of challengers, she is a clever opponent. I myself was tricked by her act.”

There was a lot of weight behind that last statement from the Bolian. Kirk eyed the humanoid. Sulight and Enon... huh. What a lover's spat this was turning out to be. 

“Keptin, the engine bay's primary defenses are offline,” Chekov announced. “Soon zey will be able to open ze blast doors.” 

“Tell them to barricade themselves in with whatever they can find,” Kirk barked. “Spock, you have the conn. Enon-,” he pointed at the Bolian. “You're with me.”

“Captain, I will work with Chekov on disabling the disruptor remotely,” Spock said. “Keep us posted of your progress.”

Kirk nodded. 

The holodeck was two floors down. Enemies crowded the hallways. He was being assisted by a Bolian that had known about this plan all along. Shouldn't be too difficult, right?

________________________________________________________________________________

Miri awoke to complete silence. 

At first, it was not startling. Stretching, she sighed in contentment as sunlight flickered over her bed.

But there was something artificial about the way the light moved. It pulled Miri out of her sleepy haze. The silence fell upon her almost deafeningly. 

Her heart rate monitor was silent. She glanced at its display. Blank. Sitting up further in her bed, Miri felt a stillness in the air that was unfamiliar. She pressed gently on the call button located on her side table. She waited five minutes. 

No one came. 

The sunlight flickered sporadically, almost like a light bulb that was about to go out. 

Miri, feet driven by some unknown curiosity- some instinct deep within her belly, swung her legs over her bed. 

She had only left it to use the small bathroom, escorted always by nurse Williams. Never before on her own. Gripping her IV stand tightly to steady herself, Miri shuffled across the room. She peered out the door. The corridors were just as silent. No orderlies or nurses strolled the wide halls. The intercom that usually paged various doctors was now silent. 

Miri ventured further into the hall. “H-hello?” she called. 

Silence. 

“Doctor Kelley? Nurse Williams?” 

Miri, rolling the IV stand along with her, slowly made her way towards the administrative desk. She glanced in the other rooms as she passed. No one was in them. No patients in beds. 

She reached over the nurse's station and grabbed the phone. She pressed the receiver up to her ear, but paused just as she was about to dial the first number to her dad's cell phone. There was no dial tone.   
Now she was truly scared. What the heck was going on?

Miri ventured down the hall, searching for an exit. She came upon a stairwell. Glancing at her IV, she grimaced and ripped the line from her arm. 

Strange. That didn't hurt. 

Come to think of it, none of Miri's wounds seemed to be hurting. Didn't the doctor's say they'd removed a ton of shrapnel from the explosion? Miri paused and pulled her hospital gown aside. She peeled away a thick bandage that nurse Williams had replaced only the day before. 

The skin was smooth. Unmarred. Miri dropped the bandage in shock, beginning to hyperventilate. 

“Holy crap,” she muttered between wheezes. 

Just then, the whole hospital shook. Screeching, Miri threw herself to the ground, covering her head with her arms. The hospital groaned and shuddered, the window panes rattling loudly in their frames, pictures falling from the walls.   
It stopped abruptly. Miri cowered on the ground for a few moments more, waiting for an aftershock. Only when she was certain the floor was stable did she raise her head. 

SLAM!

Marti screamed once more.

Immediately she felt a bit foolish. A ceiling tile just a few feet over had become loose. It swung as if hinged, held up to the ceiling by a bit of plaster. But lying on the floor, just below the tile, was something that drew Miri's attention.   
It was circular in shape. Miri crawled over to it, curiosity getting the best of her. She ran her fingertips lightly over the cool metal. It was about the size of her palm. Etched in the metal was an unrecognizable script of some kind. Whatever it was, it had a power source. It buzzed lightly in Miri's hands. Turning over the metal, she found a panel set into the back. She wedged her fingernail between, popping it off easily. 

“Miri?” 

She jumped a foot in the air. Screaming, she whirled around to see she was no longer alone in the hospital. 

A tall, handsome man stood a few feet away from her. Miri clutched the metal circle to her chest, as if it could shield her from the stranger. 

As he raised his hands in a non-threatening gesture, Jim thanked whatever god there was that he'd decided to have Enon stand guard outside of the simulation. Judging the wide eyed look Miri was currently giving him, Kirk didn't know how she'd react seeing a Bolian. 

“W-who are you!” she said, voice raising in pitch with each syllable. Jim inched closer, as one would approach a wild animal.

He crouched down to join Miri on the floor. “Someone who wants to help,” he said carefully. His eyes were on the device the girl currently clutched to her chest. He recognized Bolian script scrawled all over it. That had to be the disruptor. How the hell did she get a hold of it?

“Where are the doctors!” Miri asked shrilly. She scooted back further from him. 

Dammit! He didn't have time for this! His thoughts filled with the safety of his crew, Kirk threw all caution away and dove at the girl. Catching her by surprise, he wrestled the device from her hands effortlessly. Ignoring her screams, Kirk stood and slammed the metal against a wall. 

It shattered easily, wires flying everywhere. He cast one last look back at the child to his right. 

“End program!” he shouted. Miri, still cowering on the floor, disappeared before his very eyes. 

“Captain, we have controls!” Spock announced almost immediately. Rushing from the simulation room, Kirk brought the comm to his lips. 

“Hail starfleet! Warn the Moropan flagship! Disable the transporters!”

Kirk dodged a phaser blast. Adrenalin pumping, he slammed his head into the Bolian attacker. Snatching the phaser from mid air as it fell, he whipped around and took out two more would-be assailants. Hontoro was just down the hall, doing much of the same. 

“All security to their stations!” he yelled into the ship wide frequency. “Sulu, find the Chindi!”

“Not a problem, sir.”

With the disruptor out of commission, finding the Bolian ship was a piece of cake. It had been following the Enterprise ever since the disruptor was activated. Without the ship's external scanners, they had been unable to detect their shadow. Now, however, was a different matter. 

Kirk exploded onto the bridge. 

“Lock on to them,” he said to Sulu. “All weapons on standby.” He settled into his chair. “Hail the Chindi.” 

It wasn't but a moment before Sulight's face appeared on the view screen. She snarled at the sight of Kirk.

“Sulight Ardon,” Kirk said, “You are hereby being charged with conspiracy against the Federation, murder, attempted murder, and countless other charges. You will surrender the Chindi, beam aboard, and be detained until tried in the legal courts of the Federation.” 

“Ha!” Sulight scoffed. “I will blow the Enterprise clear across the galaxy before I let that happen, Kirk!” She was absolutely frothing at the mouth. “War with the Moropans will happen- whether as a result of this attack or that of another!”

“Sulight...” a weary voice called. Kirk twisted in his chair. 

Ambassador Ardon, leaning heavily upon both T'alesum Wei and McCoy, shuffled onto the bridge. Bones nodded at Kirk. 

Sulight, for all her proclamations, came to a sputtering halt at the sight of her father. 

“Sulight, stop this madness,” the Ambassador implored his daughter. “You know not of the damage you do.”

“Starfleet ETA, two minutes, Captain,” Spock murmured to Kirk.

“Sulight, in a few moments the full weight of the Federation will bear down upon the Chindi,” Kirk announced. “I cannot guarantee that they won't destroy you immediately upon sight.” Ambassador Ardon gave a shuddering sob. T'alesum patted his back gently. “But if you surrender now, I can guarantee your survival and fair trial.” Kirk gestured to Sulight's father, who was currently sinking to the floor, tears streaking across his face. “Do not make your father witness your demise.” 

Sulight was silent. Her eyes were glued to her father. 

“Starfleet arrival, forty-five seconds,” Spock announced. 

“Sulight, this is your last chance,” Kirk urged. The Bolian scrunched her face up, tears filling her own eyes. 

“Captain, thirty seconds.”

“If you do not surrender now I won't have time to call off the attack!” Kirk continued. His heart raced quickly. The bridge of the Enterprise was tense. No one moved. 

“Fifteen seconds. Captain, there is no t-,”

“Alright!” Sulight sobbed, her head drooping heavily. “A-alright. I surrender.”

“Uhura notify incoming Starfleet to hold their fire!” Kirk said. The lieutenant was in contact with the incoming starship in a flash.

And not a moment too soon. 

The USS Gauntlet, a massive starship, exploded into view, just behind the Chindi. Had they heard the hold fire?

“... confirmed, Enterprise. Hold fire confirmed.” 

Kirk released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in. Sulight looked at her father. A tear finally fell from her eye. 

“I'm sorry, father.” 

The transmission ended. 

“Captain, the USS Gauntlet is boarding the Chindi. They are reporting a complete surrender,” Uhura said, hand pressed tightly against her earpiece. 

“Scotty,” Kirk said into his comm. “See what you can do about enabling the Enterprise's transporters.”

“Aye, Captain.” 

____________________________________________________________

In the end, it had gone as best as it could go, considering the circumstances. All Bolian insurgents remaining on the Enterprise had surrendered easily. 

Casualties on both sides were at a minimum. The Enterprise's heaviest losses were located near the transporter room, where the Bolians had boarded. Six dead. Fourteen injured. 

The Moropan flagship, Elias, was called to the Enterprise. 

“Captain, I can't thank you enough,” Ambassador T'alesum Wei said. “You saved us from descending back into senseless war.” 

Ambassador Ardon, understandably less enthusiastic than he had been days before, nodded his agreement. “Indeed. The Emperor has been informed of my daughter's actions.” He turned to T'alesum Wei. “He wishes to continue negotiations, should your nation still be willing.” 

The Moropan diplomat gave a small smile. “I think the President would be amiable to that idea. I think it is time peace between our nations should at last be resolved.” She bowed once to the Bolian diplomat before entering the transport room. 

“Captain Kirk. May I ask what will become of my daughter?” Ardon asked Kirk suddenly. 

Jim regarded the diplomat carefully. Though the Bolian was recovering swiftly from the failed assassination, it was likely he would never recover from his daughter's betrayal. “She and her cohorts will be transported to the Federation, where they will then be processed and put on trial for their crimes.”

Ardon's head dipped in sorrow. 

“However...” Kirk continued, “They did not attack only the Federation. They committed treason against your own civilization. I am sure the Federation would be willing to reach an agreement as to where her punishment is carried out.” 

Ambassador Ardon smiled sadly. “Is it wrong to want your child imprisoned near you?”

Kirk had no answer for that. Instead, he bowed to the diplomat. “Good luck, Ambassador Ardon.” 

Hontoro Enon was a few feet down the hall. Kirk nodded to the Bolian. 

“I must thank you for your assistance,” Enon said. “I am sorry I did not inform you of my true purpose here.” 

Kirk paused for only a moment. “Perhaps your Emperor will trust the Federation a bit more now.” Enon blinked down at him.

“Perhaps.”

________________________________________________________________

Miri was once again in the river. The humming was back full force, the sound filling her ears and coursing through her body. 

But it was different this time. She was swimming this time. Fighting against the current.

And she could see the shore.


	6. Girl With One Eye

_The current was swift. White-capped waves crashed over her head, pressing her further and further back with each break. Miri felt as if she'd been fighting for ages. Exhaustion washed over her with each crest of curled water._

_But there was a strength within her, a fire in her belly, that hadn't been there before. Wherever she'd been before, whatever that fake hospital had been... it had served some purpose at the very least. With each forceful stroke of her arms, Miri could hear the humming- the nonstop humming- that was her only companion in this fight. As she plunged her arm deep into the cold, deep water, the humming swelled to an almost deafening war._

_Fingers snapped at the icy depths, her legs thrust downward, skin turned numb, the slosh of water nearly choking her as she gasped for breath... And then suddenly..._

_Land._  
__________________________________________________________

“Did the disruptor virus do any lasting damage?” Kirk asked, bent closer to Lt. Uhura's work station. He paused momentarily in his review of Uhura's analysis of Bolarus IX's linguistic history. As a sign of goodwill to the Federation- or perhaps, as an apology- Emperor Jiro had granted the Enterprise access to his nation's cultural archives. As Bolarus IX was not yet officially a member of the Federation, it was a great boon to the historians and curators of Earth. It also meant sifting through a ton of data to siphon off to Federation records. 

“Chekov?” Kirk prompted again, looking over his shoulder to the center of the bridge. The seventeen year old ensign jumped slightly and tore his eyes away from his calculations. 

“Er, yes keptin! I mean, sort of,” he amended sheepishly. “Ze Enterprise is in surprisingly good shape considering the strength of ze virus she endured. However...”

“She still took a hit,” Jim supplied, straightening and running a hand through his hair. “Perfect.”

It wasn't exactly a surprise. A week had passed since the diplomats had left the Enterprise and ever since the ship had been plagued by everything from power outages, power surges, and even one interesting loss in artificial gravity.   
That had been... interesting. It had happened when Kirk was in the engine bay, getting a status report from Scotty. Jim had heard plenty of interesting language from his Chief Engineer, but the vitriol that had spewed from the lieutenant commander's lips that hour had been an experience he'd commit to memory for a long time. 

“Precisely, keptin,” Chekov nodded. “But on ze bright side, teams A and B from operations have reported a full restore to their sections of ze Enterprise.”

Kirk sighed. Well, that was something. That meant hydroponics, the laboratories, and engineering decks were fully operational. It was a start. 

“Captain, you can probably go back to your quarters,” Uhura prompted then. Kirk looked back down at her. Nyota's features were softened, a rare thing to see on the brash woman as she gazed up at her captain. “You've been pulling double shifts all week... no one would think less of you if you ducked out to grab some shut eye.” 

Kirk crossed his arms and leaned cockily against the workstation. He smirked down at Uhura. “Hey, you worried about me, lieutenant?”

Nyota scoffed, twisting her seat back around to face her screens. “You wish, Kirk.” 

“Aw, c'mon Uhura, you know you care.”

“Shove it, Captain.” 

Jim chuckled, leaving his lieutenant to her analysis. He started for his chair, then paused, gazing about the bridge. It was the graveyard shift, and it was a combination of chief crew and secondary. The disruptor's damage, while nothing that couldn't be ultimately fixed, had meant ship wide doubles in order to get their mission back on track. But what Uhura had said was true; he'd clocked less than six hours in bunk time this week. Even Spock had tapped out earlier this evening. 

That brought a grin to his lips. He'd outlasted Spock, at the very least. 

“Uhura, take the conn. Let me know if anything exciting happens.” 

The lieutenant smiled, but hid it from Kirk. “Yes, Captain.

Jim took his time walking the halls of the Enterprise, the events of the week rolling over his mind as he slowly made his way to his quarters. He paused as he came across a two-man maintenance crew partially blocking the hall. They were replacing the metal sheeting from a section of wall. The original damaged piece lay set aside on floor, an ugly mark scored across its face. Phaser blast. 

Jim's feet almost automatically took a right down the next hall, in the opposite direction of his quarters. There was something he needed to do first- before he could allow himself to rest. 

The docking bay was a place that could be filled with many emotions at any given time. Excitement for the new graduates as they boarded the Enterprise, fresh from receiving their assignments. Nerves for a new mission that required one of the shuttlecraft to be utilized. And even sadness from a mission that might not have gone so well. 

Jim rounded the last shuttlecraft and was met with a sight that he knew he'd find, but still felt his heart grow heavy as his gaze took in the view. 

Six coffins were grouped at the end of the docking bay, their shiny black casings glinting softly in the low glow of the secondary lighting. A neatly folded Starfleet flag sat upon each coffin, each to be presented to the respective families of the former soul that lay within. Jim reached out to the nearest coffin, gently resting his hand against the cool metal cylinder. Casualties of Sulight's rebellion. 

They hadn't had a ceremony yet. Stabilizing the Enterprise had been priority, as much of an asshole it made him feel. But now, as things were beginning to settle, it would be prudent to remember the lives of these men and women who had made the ultimate sacrifice protecting the livelihood of Starfleet and all that it stood for. 

“I was wondering when you would show up here.”

Kirk twisted, letting his hand drop from the coffin. Bones approached, looking every bit as haggard as Jim felt. The doctor held a PADD tucked under his arm and he regarded Jim with a single raised eyebrow. 

“Yeah, I know. It's been a busy week. I should have come earlier,” Jim replied morosely. Bones shook his head and closed the distance, resting his PADD on the middle coffin. 

“That wasn't a criticism, Jim,” he said. “It's just, knowing you... I was wondering when you'd finally let yourself take a few minutes from the Enterprise.” The doctor flipped open a panel on the side of the coffin, revealing a small screen and keyboard. Peering at his PADD, McCoy inputted the death certificate of the inhabitant. “It's been a busy week for all of us. I only got petty officer Sterling here prepped about two hours ago.” He finished tapping the small keyboard and slid the panel closed. He turned back to Kirk, presenting the PADD to the young Captain. “Since you're here...”

Kirk pressed his finger onto the death certificate. He'd been doing a lot of that lately.

“You have to let yourself get some rest,” Bones continued as he retracted the death certificate. Kirk groaned, running his hand over his face. They moved from the coffins, letting the dead sleep in peace. 

“God, you sound like Uhura now,” he replied. McCoy's lips twisted into a wry grin. 

“You must be driving her crazy on the bridge if she's taking time to verbally tell you to leave,” he said. “Usually she'd just kick your ass out.” 

Jim laughed. The pair stopped at the base of the steps that led from the lowest area of the docking bay to the elevated catwalks. They each sank onto the steps, groaning in exhaustion as they welcomed a moment off their feet. 

“God, do you hear that? We sound like a bunch of old fools,” McCoy groused as his knee popped.

“Speak for yourself, Bones,” Kirk replied. “I'm still limber as a spring chick-,” an audible click from a tired ligament could be heard as he settled onto the step. 

“You were saying?” 

“Shut up.” 

McCoy reached into the inner flap of his uniform shirt and withdrew a small bottle. “Here,” he said, shaking the bottle of amber liquid slightly. “You earned it.” 

Jim glanced at the proffered booze, his lips quirking as he noticed that it was already quite well loved. “Drinking on the job, Bones? That's grounds for a demerit, you know.” Still, he took the whiskey. 

“Demerit my ass,” McCoy replied. “We're off the clock. And don't go putting on a high and mighty act, I know about the vodka you have hidden in your quarters.” 

Jim took a swig of the whiskey, sighing slightly as the warmth coursed down his throat to settle in his belly. He passed it back to Bones, who took the bottle but didn't drink. They were silent for a moment then, gazing out into the docking bay. The six coffins were lined up neatly directly across from them. Just beyond was the wide, inky abyss of space, winking at them through the super reinforced crystalline airlock. 

“Lieutenant Commander Maxwell Dugan,” McCoy said softly, the usual gruffness gone from his tone. “Ensign Janie Carraway, Officer Estella Martinez, Officer Damon Wilson, Lieutenant Alex Trang, and Petty Officer Anastasia Sterling.” McCoy drank from the bottle then. He passed it to Jim, who raised the whiskey once in the direction of the deceased before following suit. 

“Thank you,” Jim murmured. But it really wasn't met for McCoy.

Bones knew this, and so he said nothing. 

________________________________________________________________________

Christine Chapel yawned widely, not even bothering to cover her mouth as she let out an audible groan. She pushed herself away from her desk and stood, stretching until she felt a satisfying pop in her lower back. Hands coming back down to rest on her hips, Christine surveyed her section of the medical bay. 

It was mostly empty. Those that had been injured in the Moropan-Bolian conflict had been sent back to their quarters earlier in the week, and the deceased... well, she and Doctor McCoy had finished with the last of them mere hours before, sending them down to the docking bay where the ceremony would be eventually held. 

One of the interns, an Andorian by the name of Jascro Rayux snoozed in the corner of his own small section of the medbay. One of his antennae twitched as he let out a particularly loud snore. Christine grinned; he had the right idea. She glanced at her watch. It was about time she clocked some bunk time. Like many others on the ship, she'd pulled in extra hours. When was the last time she took a break? It had to have been more than two days since she'd found time to sleep. 

Christine snapped off her desk light and grabbed the quilt she usually kept draped over her chair. Her sister had made it for her when Christine was initially assigned to the Enterprise. She always got cold in space- no matter how well engineering took care of the atmospheric settings. Christine took a moment to gently cover Jascro, grinning as the Andorian shifted in his chair and mumbled under his breath. She didn't understand how he could be so comfortable hunched over his desk like that. 

After one last cursory look about the medbay, Christine moved towards the exit, already dreaming of her pillows and thick blankets. She almost made it, too. As her foot crossed the threshold of the doorway, a sudden surge in power ricocheted through the entire level of the Enterprise. Every light in the medical bay flickered on, rising to an almost blinding glare. 

Snap!

Christine groaned, letting her head drop against the door frame. Of course there had to be a blowout now. Damn the Bolian insurgents! Their presence was lingering far longer than she enjoyed. Turning smartly on her heel, Christine ventured back into the medbay, spirits rising slightly as she saw that the backup lights were already beginning to glow. She decided to leave Jascro asleep- how he'd managed to snooze through the loud power surge was beyond her- as things would go quicker without having to watch out for an underfoot intern. 

Bustling from station to station, Christine quickly gave everything a once over. Scanners were recalibrated, sample containment was checked and reset to the proper temperature, back up generators were up and running, biobeds... The biobeds.  
Christine glanced over to a small alcove in the corner. Their little guest had been moved to the quietest part of the medbay in what was supposed to be an effort to provide some semblance of stability and privacy. Privately, Christine felt it was more akin putting something in storage to forget about. Indeed, Doctor McCoy and herself- primary leads on Miri's case, hadn't checked in on the patient once. That duty had been left to the interns and secondary staff. None had reported anything unusual.   
Christine pulled back the heavy curtain that formed the fourth wall of Miri's “room.” 

The child was still motionless in her biobed, the holodeck crown still snugly fit around her skull. Christine fidgeted with the biobed settings for a few moments, satisfied with what she read. The nurse gently swept a few brown curls away from Miri's face, then fluffed her pillow a few times. 

“Sleep well, sweetheart,” Christine murmured, pulling the curtain closed. 

Now. It really was time for bed. Christine strode purposefully towards the door, now more than ever determined to at least get a few hours before tomorrow's rotations. 

The sound of metal hitting the floor stopped her in her tracks. But exasperation didn't flow over her this time, no. 

The noise had come from Miri's room. 

The first thing Miri was aware of was the pain.   
It was an odd, dull sort of ache that she couldn't quite understand. Her mind too, was far too cloudy and fuzzy to comprehend much. It was like the feeling you might get when you wake in the night- that odd place between deep slumber and light consciousness.

_Fingers. Lungs. Tongue. Legs. Feet._

_Eyes._

Miri opened her eyes, and this time she knew they were truly seeing. Her sight landed on a gray ceiling, a soft light glowing just in the center above her. Miri let her gaze drift downwards. Looking down the length of her body, she saw she lay on a thick mattress, clothed in what looked like a simple tunic and pants. To her left and directly across from her was a wall, the same steely color as the ceiling. To her right, a thick blue curtain.

Miri brought a hand up to her head, fingers coming to rest upon cool metal. Struggling to even bear the weight of her arm, Miri slid her fingertips under the metal and pulled. She couldn't keep a grip on whatever the item was, and it slipped from her grasp to tumble to the floor. It clinked gently as it struck the ground. 

Where was she? Was this even real? Or was it another illusion?

No. This was real. This ache in her chest, this pure heaviness that sank over her was far too tangible, far too present for this to be a fantasy. Miri felt sluggish, like her brain was sifting through molasses. She barely registered the fabric of the curtain being pulled back. 

Christine moved closer to the private corner their little patient occupied. Unlike before, where she'd been bustling with practiced productivity and routine, her footsteps were now light and her senses alert. The air had shifted somehow. The hair on the back of her neck prickled. As she neared, the sound of fabric rustling caught her attention.

Reaching forward, the nurse gripped the curtain gently and pulled it aside, eyes widening by what she saw. 

Miri Alexander, the mysterious girl from a second Earth, comatose for over a month, now blinked up at her surroundings- very much awake. 

“Oh my goodness,” Christine gasped. She glanced at the biobed data, instantly switching into nurse mode. Her foot kicked against something; looking down, she saw the corner of the miniaturized holodeck peeking out from underneath the bed. “The power surge must have disrupted the settings...” 

Miri pulled herself upright finally, breaking into a sweat from what should have been an easy motion. She barely registered she had been joined by another person, their voice drifting about her skull. 

Christine turned her attentions to her patient. The poor girl was covered in a sheen of sweat, her skin pale and eyelids heavy. If the nurse was perfectly honest with herself, she was astounded the child had managed to pull herself into a sitting position. Miri's head dipped lolled downward, as if too heavy to keep up. Christine reached outward, gently placing her cool hands on Miri's face, tilting her head back. 

Miri sighed in relief as cool hands met her skin, softly brushing her damp hair back from her forehead. Eyes focusing finally, she managed to land them on the person who bestowed such relief. Golden hair surrounding a strong face. Kind eyes. Gentle smile. The lips were moving now.

“...get the doctor.”

Like hitting a brick wall, Miri suddenly halted into the very present. Her vision became crisp, her limbs felt like they were actually hers, and her brain surfaced into crystal clarity. Miri attempted to speak, but her throat felt like it was filled with cotton balls. She felt a sharp pain in her lip and a warm trickling sensation. 

“I can mend that,” Christine said, wincing as she watched Miri's lower lip split, the skin dry from dehydration and disuse. “The doctor will want to give you a full check up. I'll just call for...”

Miri, filled with a sudden adrenaline, an excitement she could taste at the back of her throat, yanked her head backwards and out of the surprised woman's grasp.

NO! This was how she'd been deceived before. No doctors. No LIES!

Gathering her strength from goodness knows where, Miri shoved, causing the woman to stumble backwards. 

Christine, caught completely by surprise, tripped forcefully. Instinctively, she reached upwards and clawed at the curtains. They did little to slow her fall, instead coming down from the railing and tangling about her. 

Miri took her chance and heaved herself from the bed. Ankle rolling beneath her, she caught herself on a bed tray, wincing as her arm sliced on the cool metal. Not waiting for the nurse to extricate herself form the curtains, Miri propelled herself forward.   
Jascro stirred at the commotion, antennae twitching as he awoke fully. Stretching lazily, he turned just in time to catch glimpse of a wobbly blur darting past him. 

“What the-,”

Miri jumped at the noise, whipping around to defend against whatever liar was going to detain her. 

Jascro met the wide gaze of the patient he had assisted Doctor McCoy and Nurse Chapel with over the past month and a half. He didn't think it was possible for her to go any paler- but there she went, any trace of color gone completely.   
“Don't let her see you, you idiot!” Christine hissed, finally yanking the curtains from her face. Her usually perfectly coiffed hair stood on end from the static electricity. 

If Miri had the voice to scream, this was the moment she would have done so. Because she couldn't be seeing what she was seeing. No way. No way was there a seven foot blue man with an antenna staring back at her... 

“Uh....” the blue man said, raising his hands up slowly. 

Miri wrenched her gaze from the blue creature and continued her frenzied escape, exiting through the nearest door that opened at her approach. 

“Dammit,” Christine cursed. Jascro hurried forward and finished extricating his superior from her confines. 

“What happened?” Jascro asked. “Last time I checked she was a vegetable.” 

“Power surge while you were sleeping,” Christine replied, hurrying to her desk.

“Shit. So our little secret's out, eh?”

Christine snatched her comm-link up from the desk. She threw a dark look back at Jascro. “And now we have a terrified child loose on the Enterprise. One that just met her very first alien.” Christine brought her communicator to her lips. “Doctor McCoy, we have a situation.”


	7. How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

Miri’s legs felt like rubber as she forced herself down the brightly lit hallways of… wherever she was. The floor she dragged her throbbing feet along was a shiny black, the walls an almost blinding white. As she caught herself on the wall to her left, she realized it curved upward. Glancing behind, Miri saw that the long hall was almost a tunnel of sorts. There were no windows, but up ahead Miri thought she glimpsed what looked to be a crossroad. 

It extended out to the left and right, or she could remain on her current path. Miri felt like she was going insane. There were no signs or maps or anything to indicate where she might be. 

The soft echo of voices wrenched her from her exasperation and she made a split decision, throwing herself down the hallway to the right. She had to get out of here. She just needed to go home. 

_____________________________________________________________________________

“I said I understand, Scotty. You’ll get your requested repair time,” Jim sighed. It was a true fact that a Captain’s work was never done. Shortly after he and Bones had left the docking bay, Kirk had been accosted by his Chief Engineer. 

“Thanks Cap’n,” Scotty replied happily. “Just gimme an hour of Enterprise quiet time and she’ll be good as new.” 

“I think the Captain could use a little quiet time ‘bout now,” Bones said, grinning as Jim finally began to show a bit of the strain of the past week in his gritted jaw. Bones sure as hell didn’t know where Scotty got his energy- he’d been up just as long as the rest of them- yet the engineer was bouncing off the walls and running all over hell’s half acre. 

His comm-link chirped from his side. 

“Looks like neither of us is getting any rest,” Jim muttered to Bones as Scotty continued to spout off his schedule of repairs for the Enterprise. “Yes, Scotty- only absolutely essential power will be active during the repair times. Like I said, as soon as I get back to the bridge…”

Chuckling, Bones fell a few steps behind the pair to answer his comm-link. “Aren’t you catching bunk time yet, Christine?” He greeted gruffly. That woman would run herself ragged- and he was doing enough of that for the both of them. 

_"Miri’s awake,”_ came the breathy response of his head nurse. That stopped him in his tracks. 

“What? How?”

Kirk, hearing the raised voice of his medical officer, turned to look at Bones curiously. Scotty hardly noticed, still listing off his different requirements for the Enterprise. 

_“Power surge about 20 minutes ago- Jascro, I said stay back in the med bay!”_

“Christine, is everything okay?” 

Kirk held up his hand in a gesture meant to stem the tide of information from Scotty. He paced back to rejoin Bones, who glanced over him with a tight jaw. 

_“No, Doc- Jascro, I don’t care if she’s already seen you once, I don’t need her panicking even more- Dammit, Doctor McCoy, Miri’s gone.”_

“The kid?” Kirk asked. He took the communicator from Bones. “Christine, Kirk here. What the hell is going on?” 

_“Miri woke up and panicked. I don’t know how, but she caught myself and Jascro by surprise and escaped the med bay. She’s loose somewhere in the halls.”_

Bones swore loudly, but inwardly he felt worry rising. He glanced at Kirk, who appeared to be feeling the same. 

“She saw Jascro?” Kirk asked. 

_"Yes. According to him she looked as if she’d just seen a ghost.”_

“Or an alien,” Scotty said, joining them. “Remember, tha lass comes from a time where there ain’t nothin but humans in the galaxy.” 

“Christine, stay in the med bay in case she wanders back. Keep Jascro out of sight,” Kirk said. He turned to Scotty. “Secure the Engine bay. Last thing we need is a panicked teenager doing any more damage to an already unhealthy Enterprise. Keep an eye out for her on your way down. Bones and I will try to track her down.” 

Scotty nodded and hurried away. Kirk glanced at Bones.

“Looks like we won’t be sleeping just yet,” he quipped. The pair began to head in the general direction of medical. 

“I should have checked on her sooner,” Bones said as they scoured the halls. “I’d been so busy with prepping the caskets and the deceased… I pushed Miri onto secondary staff.” 

“Not your fault, Bones,” Kirk said, peering down a hall to his left. The Enterprise was blessedly silent this evening, with most of the crew finally catching some sleep after the week of repair. “We’ve all been busy. We have more things to worry about than one girl.” 

“Yeah, but it’s our fault she’s even here in the first place,” Bones replied. 

“Yes, it is,” Kirk replied. “And we’ll take care of her, to the best of our abilities. But the Enterprise and crew comes first. You were doing the right thing, doc.” 

The pair stopped at an intersection. 

“I saw her,” Kirk said then. “In the simulation. When I was searching for Sulight’s disrupter.” 

Bones looked surprised. “You didn’t mention that before. Did she see you?”

Kirk nodded. “I think the disruptor messed with the simulation. The hospital was still there, but it was off… not as convincing. Miri was awake, in one of the halls with the disruptor.” He grimaced. “I scared the crap out of her, I think.”  
“And now, with this… she’s probably terrified,” Bones said. Kirk nodded. 

“And terrified means dangerous. C’mon, let’s search the upper decks.” 

___________________________________________________________________

Miri ran. And ran and ran. She had no idea where she was going, but she couldn’t stop moving. There were red doors in some of the hallways, but she was unable to open them. Twice she came upon another person or group of people, but she managed to duck back into an adjacent corridor at the last second both times. 

Looking behind her to make sure the second group hadn’t rounded that last corner as well, Miri wasn’t paying attention to the path ahead. She suddenly smashed into something large, yelping lightly as she tumbled to the ground. Whatever she hit fell too, making a loud oof! as it hit the floor. 

“Hey, watch where you’re going!” a voice said. Miri shook her head lightly, eyes drifting upward to see a woman in a red dress struggle to her feet. Miri scrabbled against the smooth floor, bare feet desperate for grip as she attempted to stand. 

As the woman turned, her irritated expression turned to shock. 

“You… you’re the girl they- hey, wait!”

But Miri was already gone, flying down the hallway to whatever fate was to meet her next. 

The woman, too stunned to give chase, shook herself mentally and reached for her communicator. 

“Captain Kirk? Yeoman Rand here. I think I just bumped into our guest…” 

Kirk snapped shut his comm-link. 

“C’mon Bones, she was spotted on Command level.” 

They altered their course and raced up another two floors, their eyes searching the halls for any sign of the child. 

They didn’t have to look long. As they turned down the long hall that led to Bridge Access, a small form darted into view, shooting like a bullet from an adjacent corridor. 

“Miri!” Bones called, attempting to keep his voice calm. Miri jumped then, whirling around to face them with wide, wild eyes. Just a few feet behind her, one of the turbolift doors opened, releasing a tired looking Lt. Hawkins from the bridge for the night. 

Miri didn’t miss her chance. She turned on her heel and darted for the lift, pushing past Hawkins and making it in just as the door closed.

“Dammit!” Bones swore, making for the other lift. Kirk hailed the bridge from his communicator. 

“Uhura, you’re about to have a visitor…” 

Miri was near hyperventilation. As soon as she had made it into the elevator it had begun to descend. To where, she didn’t know. Her sliced arm dripped blood onto the floor, making a light _pat pat_ noise as it struck ground. 

That man? How did that man know her name? He was with the other one. The one from the hospital. He knew her name also. 

Miri choked back a sob, her entire body shaking violently. What was going on? Where was her family? Where was she? 

She didn’t have long to consider her predicament further; with a jolt, the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. She tumbled out, unsteady as ever. 

Lt. Uhura was used to surprises on the Enterprise. It came with the territory. But as she turned in her chair, Kirk’s voice ringing a heads-up into her ear, she would later come to say that seeing a bloodied girl practically falling from the turbolift into Command was one of the more astonishing moments of her career. 

The girl took a few steps onto the bridge before seeming to realize she was not alone. Chekov, immersed in some calculation at a vertical console, did a double take as the girl entered the corner of his vision. 

“Ah...,” he trailed off. Lt. Sulu, wondering when the hell McKenna was going to come relieve him for the night, glanced back at the awkward noise from his navigator. “You alright, Mr. Chekov?” 

He followed the Ensign’s surprised gaze and felt his own eyebrows raise in mild shock. He stood slowly from the helm, glancing over at Uhura, who was closest to the girl. The communications officer was wearing a similar expression, but she made no move to approach the girl. They knew who she was, of course. While it was true that most of the Enterprise was generally oblivious to the detailed nature of the time traveler’s presence, a few rumors had flown from loose lips. The girl in the holodeck. The stranded child.

Miri could feel her heart pounding in her chest, could hear it roaring in her ears. She’d left behind two threats and had fallen into a room full of them. To her right, a woman in a red dress- similar to the dress of the woman she’d run into earlier- slowly stood, removing something from her ear. 

Her appearance had taken them by surprise, sure, but they were going to recover soon. Miri needed to act now. She was all instinct, all animal intuition at this point. Her body, aching and trembling, was running on nothing more than the need for pure survival.   
But before she could even begin to form a plan of action, the elevator across the room opened, revealing the two men from before.

Bones rushed from the turbolift first, slowing as he took in the scene. Miri’s frightened gaze turned to them, and he held up his hands in an open, non-threatening gesture. Kirk fell back a step, content to let the good doctor take the lead in this case.   
“Miri,” Bones said, as gently as he could. “Just… take it easy kid. We aren’t going to hurt you.” 

From his place behind Bones, Kirk observed the young girl carefully. She was like an animal in a trap, eyes wild and body shaking from adrenaline. Her arm was bloody, drops falling freely onto the ground. Her small frame, dwarfed in the too big medical pants and shirt, was tightly wound, ready to spring into defense at any moment. 

It was silent on the bridge. Tense. Then,

“…Who. Who are you?” Miri finally managed to find her voice. It was raw and hoarse and hurt like hell, but it was there. It was oddly empowering. It was something she could use to fight back with. 

“I know this is confusing, kid. I do. But I promise we will give you some answers, if you will let us help you,” Bones replied. “You’re bleeding, do you see that?” 

Miri clenched the hand of the injured arm, feeling the blood squish between her fingers. Bones took a small step forward. Miri took a large one back, nearly toppling down the steps towards the helm. As she righted herself, she caught something from the corner of her eye that made her go cold. All reason, all instinct to flee, all self-preservation fled from her in that moment. In fact, Miri would later look back and think that perhaps she herself fled from her body at that moment. She was a shell, not herself, not anything. Such terror and confusion filled her body and mind at that moment that there was simply no room left for Miri. 

There was a window in the room she was in, the first she had come across since her wild escape. It was a good window. It was large and wide and looked like it could let in a lot of light if it wanted to. But it didn’t let any light in.

No. Instead, the window was a black rectangle, framing one single object like a painting. A planet. A great blue thing, hanging dead center. 

Miri was unaware she was moving down the steps towards the window. Lt. Sulu stood still as she passed him, unsure of what to do. He vaguely considered how he was amazed by the galaxy on a daily basis- and he was used to it. He grew up with it. Sulu couldn’t imagine what was going through the mind of a girl from the 21st century as she gazed upon space for the first time. 

Kirk took this opportunity and reached out to a panel on the wall. He pressed gently, revealing a compartment with a small emergency medical kit. Silently removing its contents, he fished out a hypospray and handed it to Bones. A sedative.   
Miri reached out her trembling, bloody hand, reaching for the window and the impossible sight that lay behind it. But just before she could make contact with the glass, a sharp prick in her neck startled her from whatever trance she had gone into.   
Bones held his arms out wide, handing off the hypospray to Sulu. He gave Miri space as she stumbled back from him, her hand going up to the injection site. Her vision began to swim, but the need to survive still coursed through her. She fell to her knees and continued to fumble backwards, leaving bloody handprints on the floor, console, and steps. 

Uhura, unable to watch any longer, left her station and caught the girl as she fell fully to the ground. Her unfocused eyes slid once over Uhura’s face, before finally closing, forced by the effects of the sedative. 

Bones rushed over and knelt beside her, checking Miri’s pulse carefully. Uhura rested a hand upon the child’s head, brushing away a few strands of hair. 

It was Kirk who broke the silence. 

“Bones. Get her back to medical.” 

“We’re not putting her back into the holodeck,” Bones heard himself say gruffly. It surprised him, the force with which he demanded it. He nodded to Uhura, who released her grip on Miri. Swinging the girl gently into his arms, Bones carried her from the bridge and onto the turbolift. As the door closed, he caught one last look of the galaxy twinkling back at him from beyond the window.


	8. Long and Lost

_“Hey punk,” the voice came._

_Miri glanced behind her from her place on the swing. Her older brother stood a few paces back, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. She regarded him for a moment, then twisted back around, using her bare feet to sway gently. It was a beautiful day in late August. The heat wasn’t stifling- rare for this time of year- and was accompanied by a light breeze._

_She was in their backyard, perched on the old swing that hung from the weeping willow. The sun was high in the sky, casting a golden glow over everything. It was lovely. But she was unhappy._

_“Are you still going to ignore me?” Sam said, dropping his duffel ground. “Miri, I’m not leaving forever.”_

_“But you’re still leaving,” Miri finally said. She’d been steadfast in her silent treatment over the course of the week, and she cursed inwardly as she let the words escape._

_Sam chuckled. “It’s not like I am going across the country- heck, even to a different city. Gonzaga University is in Spokane, doofus. You know. The city we live in.”_

_“Then why can’t you live at home while you go? I thought that’s what you were going to do?”_

_Sam sighed. “You wouldn’t understand, Miri.”_

_“Try me.”_

_Sam was silent for a moment, then closed the distance between himself and his sister. He placed his hands on her back and gave her a small push, sending the swing forward gently._

_“I just… need to go away for a while. Be on my own, you know?”_

_“But why?” Miri asked, her hands coming up to grip the ropes on either side of her._

_“I can’t grow if I am constantly surrounded by the familiar,” Sam replied. “If everything stays the same, how will I ever change?”_

_Miri dug her feet into the ground, grinding the swing to a halt. She twisted around and glared at her brother._

_“So we’re holding you back?” she asked. “Is that what you’re saying?”_

_“Of course not, don’t be stupid,” Sam said. He pushed back a flop of hair, the same shade of brown as Miri’s. “I love you guys. You, Mom, Dad, even Misty.”_

_“You hate that cat.”_

_“Okay, maybe not Misty.” Sam’s lips twisted into a wry smile. “I want to make you guys proud. To do that, I need to find out who I am. I can’t do that if I never experience anything new. Anything scary or challenging. On my own.”_

_Miri was silent. Then, she twisted back from Sam, a silent gesture for him to continue pushing her._

_“You know Mom is going to make you visit ever week for dinner,” she said. “And you know she’s gonna want to meet any girls you’re hanging around.”_

_Sam laughed. “Yeah, she already threatened me with bodily harm if I wasn’t back for Sunday dinner.”_

_Miri was swinging higher now, coming up to meet the sky with every push. Pumping her legs back furiously, as she met the final arch to the sky, she did the only thing she could think of._

_She let go._

The first two times Miri awoke, it was gently. In the hospital, it was with the calm coaxing of Nurse Williams. In the room she later escaped from, it was with no more than the pounding in her skull and the lifting of heavy eyelids.

This time was different. 

With a loud, shuddering gasp that wracked her entire body, Miri’s eyes opened. She surged forward, sitting upright with a sudden jolt. 

“Whoa, easy there,” a vaguely familiar voice came. “You’re okay, you’re okay.” Miri’s head snapped to her right, where a dark haired man in a blue tunic stood watching her. Recent events began tumbling back into her mind and Miri scrambled to get away. Her arm jerked against something restrictive, however, and she looked down to see her left wrist was tied to the metal railing of her bed by a white strap. 

Panicking, she yanked at the restraint, her breaths coming faster and sharper. A loud beeping noise echoed from somewhere around her, growing faster by the second. 

“Hey, relax, relax,” McCoy said. Damnit, this was what he was trying to prevent. He glanced up at her vitals and could see she was on her way to a full-fledged panic attack. Throwing caution to the wind, McCoy reached out and grasped Miri by the shoulders. The contact seemed to strike a chord within her, and she stopped struggling against the restraint. Frightened eyes met his own, and he tried to look as non-threatening as possible. The irony was not lost on him, as he often prided himself on his rather aggressive bedside manner. The patients tend to listen a little better with a bit of fear in their bloodstream. 

“Miri, you need to breathe,” he said then, noting the quick intakes of air and the sudden increase in heart rate. The monitor on her biobed was going crazy. “Like this.” He took a deep breath in then, holding it for a moment, then expelling slowly. He did this a few more times, before Miri began to copy him. “Good. There you go.” 

Tears filled Miri’s eyes as she breathed, but she didn’t blink- not daring to take her gaze from the man before her. They were both silent for a few moments, until she finally stopped hyperventilating. The man released her shoulders then and took a step back to give her some space. 

Miri drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, making herself as small as possible. Her heart was calmer, she was breathing easier, but still she could not help but feel every drop of fear and adrenaline that was currently coursing through her veins. Calm down, she reasoned with herself. You’ll never get to the bottom of this if you don’t calm down. 

Bones poured a glass of water from a pitcher at his side. He offered it to Miri, but she didn’t take it. She simply kept staring at him with big, round brown eyes. After a moment’s pause, McCoy set the water aside and reached for a small stool. Pulling it to the edge of the biobed, he sat as near as he dared, resting his elbows on his knees. Clearly this was going to be as difficult as he had feared. 

“I will take that off,” he said gesturing towards the restraint. Miri flinched at the movement. “…if you promise not to run. I am not here to hurt you. I’m just trying to keep you safe. Understand?” 

There was a beat of silence. She seemed to be evaluating him. Bones could practically see the cogs turning in her mind as she ran through the options she had available. Finally, she gave a small nod. 

Slowly, so as not to frighten her, McCoy reached across and unbuckled the strap from her small wrist. As soon as it dropped away, Miri brought her arm to her chest. She rubbed the wrist, soothing away the marks she had made from the struggle. 

“I’m sure you are confused, kid. Hell, we all are.” Bones ran a hand over his weary face. Miri followed the motion and was confused by the effect it had upon her. It was a gesture Miri had seen her father do many times- mostly when trying to figure out how to pay the bills online. He wasn’t the most technologically savvy man. For some reason, the gesture calmed her. Not a lot, but the familiarity was somehow… comforting. She closed her eyes, blinking away the image of her dad and attempting to refocus to the present. 

“…where am I?” she said then, surprising herself with the sound of her own voice. 

It surprised Bones too. He wasn’t sure she was going to talk to him, especially after the fiasco on the bridge. Of course it wasn’t exactly the easiest question to answer, so he settled for the obvious.

“You’re in my medical bay,” he replied. “I’m Dr. Leonard McCoy, I’ve been taking care of you.”

“Doctor…” Miri echoed. 

“At your service, darlin’,” McCoy said. “Most folks call me Bones, though, so feel free.” He extended his hand then, as if to shake. Miri stared at it as if it was a foreign object. 

_C’mon kid,_ Bones thought to himself, _meet me halfway._

Miri seemed to think for a moment. Then, hesitatingly, she slid her small hand into his large palm. McCoy gave her a friendly grin. She did not return it, but she did speak again. 

“Miri,” she replied, her voice soft. “Miri Alexander.”

“Well now Miri, it’s nice to meet you. Can you tell me if you are in any pain?”

She looked down at herself, as if she was surprised she was connected to a body. Was she in pain? She was feeling many things at the moment, but Miri didn’t really think any of it was physical pain.

“I feel...” she trailed off, searching for the right word. “Sore. Tight.”

McCoy nodded. That made sense- she’d been lying in a bed for over a month. She was bound to have some stiffness. He reached out instinctively to conduct a cursory examination, but stopped when Miri jumped violently. 

“Hey- it’s okay, remember?” he said. He decided to not give Miri a chance to panic further, and gently put his hands on either side of the base of her skull. He pressed down, feeling for swelling and tenderness. 

Miri, despite herself, managed to keep calm and allowed the doctor to touch her- all the while doing an examination of her own. The man before her- Leonard McCoy- looked as if he had not been sleeping well. Big dark circles pressed crescents beneath his brown eyes, and from this proximity Miri could detect the shadow of stubble growing along his jaw. He had a kind enough face, she supposed, and he was clearly trying to be gentle with her. Yet she still knew no more than she had before. Miri allowed her gaze to leave the doctor and finally began to take in her surroundings. 

_The medical bay. He said I’m in a medical bay. That seems… true._ Beyond Leonard McCoy, she could see that they were in a large, angular room. The walls were a brilliant blue color, and dotted along at regular intervals were unoccupied beds. Behind each bed was a display, almost like a television or computer screen, with complex charts and figures that Miri refused to even attempt to decipher. There were a few work stations, some with beakers and test tubes crowding the surfaces, others with personal effects- like a sweater draped over a chair or a flowering plant on a desk. There was no one else there- just herself and the doctor. 

McCoy, checking Miri’s eyes now for focus and clarity, could see her analyzing the environment. God I hope she’s not thinking of another escape attempt. One was enough. Somehow though, the fear felt unfounded. For now, anyway. Her pulse had slowed considerably, and she was allowing him to touch her. This fact surprised him, considering their encounter on the bridge a night before. He sighed as he recalled the event. Hypospraying a frightened child when her guard was down… it wasn’t one of his finest moments. He supposed they seemed the villains to her, considering the circumstances. Deception with the holodeck simulation, a wild chase through the halls of a confusing starship, a needle jabbed to the neck…

Miri yelped as his finger pressed against the site of the injection. Bones stilled his hands, but the finite amount of trust he had gained was immediately shattered.

Miri drew away as the memory of the night before suddenly flooded back in greater detail than the fuzzy remnants she had been clinging to. The run through the halls, the blood on her arm, the room where she saw… where she saw the impossible. Her eyes narrowing, she reached up and violently shoved Leonard McCoy’s hands from her neck. 

“Where am I?” she demanded this time. Bones regarded her silently for a moment. This was not a good mood swing. Patients undergoing severe psychological trauma could become meaner than a piney woods rooter. 

“The medical bay, as I said. I am a doctor and-,” 

“Stop LYING TO ME!” Miri shouted. She seized the glass of water from the bedside table and flung it as hard as she could. McCoy ducked at the last second and heard the sound of glass shattering against a wall some feet behind him. 

Immediately, a blonde head popped out from a side door along the left wall. Christine hovered in the doorway, unsure of what to do. Dr. McCoy had removed all nonhuman staff from the area. Most didn’t object to the discrimination; they were exhausted from the extra shifts and welcomed the extra sleep. Jascro was the only one that really seemed to have a problem with it. 

“She’s seen me once,” he’d protested as Christine pulled him from the med bay. “A second time can’t hurt!”

She had remained behind just in case Dr. McCoy needed her assistance. As it was, things were beginning to look a little unstable.

Sensing her presence, McCoy turned slightly to wave her away. Miri took this opportunity and lunged at him, completely disregarding the fact that she was a weakened sixteen-year-old girl, and he a solidly built adult with none of her physical ailments. McCoy grunted at the impact, taken by surprise, and tried to stand from the stool. Miri was latched on to him like a mantis to a stick though, and she began pummeling him with weak blows. It didn’t hurt, until she got a fistful of his hair and began to pull. 

“Dr. McCoy!” Christine decided now was a good time to intervene, watching as Leonard stumbled to the side. She rushed over to the pair, attempting to remove Miri’s tightly clenched fingers from the good doctor’s mop of brown hair. Christine was surprised by the strength- adrenaline was a hell of a motivator. Two adults were more than enough to outmatch the girl, however, and Christine was able to separate finger from hair. 

“Damnit,” McCoy swore as he felt roots separating from his scalp. Miri turned to the woman next, vaguely recognizing her as the person who had greeted her when she had awoken yesterday. She lashed out with her feet, kicking at the nurse who attempted to restrain her arms. 

Bones grabbed her from behind and pinned her arms to her side. “Damnit, kid, we’re going to explain everything!” He lifted Miri from the ground as she continued to kick at Christine. The nurse, for her part, had had her fair share of unruly patients and was undeterred as the child’s bare foot landed a glancing blow to her shoulder. “Just calm down- SONOFA-,”

Miri had lashed her head back as hard as she could, feeling a small sense of victory as she felt the crunch of a nose breaking against her skull. When his hold didn’t loosen, she thrashed wildly, kicking and screaming as hard and as loud as she could. 

______________________________________________________________________________

Jim hadn’t planned on going to the med bay that morning, content to let Bones do his job with the girl. However, after a few precious hours of bunk time were spent tossing and turning, he’d decided that he needed to talk to his friend and colleague. The look on Bones’ face when he’d carried the child from the bridge had been startling, to say the least. Sure, the two of them didn’t always see eye to eye, but it was rare to see McCoy get so fearful. 

And that is what was written all over the doctor’s face last night. Fear. Not necessarily of the girl, but for her. A rather raw and open glimpse of concern and regret. Jim decided it was a good idea to make sure he and Bones were on the same page going forward. Jim also couldn’t quite get Miri from his mind either. Though her injury to her arm was little more than superficial, the sight of her blood smeared across his bridge was a stark reminder that her very presence here was his fault. She was in this situation because of him and his decision to beam down to the second Earth. 

Jim shook himself from his thoughts as he turned the corner and saw his first officer approaching. 

“Captain,” Spock greeted, “I was informed by Lt. Uhura of the events of last night. I trust the girl has been safely returned to the supervision of Dr. McCoy?” 

“Good morning to you too, Commander.” 

“As it seems the holodeck simulation is no longer an option, might I remind you of the Doctor’s other suggestion?” Spock continued, falling in step with Jim as they moved down the hall. 

“What, return to Earth? My feelings on the matter have not changed, Spock. The mission will continue, new passenger or not,” Kirk replied stubbornly. 

“Captain, while I understand your desire to prove yourself during this year long mission-,” 

“Prove myself-?”

“- I must remind you of your duty to your crew. It is your job to ensure their safety, including removing a possible threat from the Enterprise.” 

Jim stopped just short of the sickbay and scoffed. “A possible threat? Look, Spock, I understand that last night was a disaster, but I hardly think a sixteen-year-old girl is a major threat to a starship.” 

The sound of shattering glass echoed from within the sickbay. Kirk paused in his retort and exchanged a glance with Spock, who merely raised a single eyebrow. Screaming could suddenly be heard through the doorway. 

“You were saying, Captain?” 

“Drop it, Spock.” 

Jim entered the sickbay to see a sight that was almost… comical. At the furthest biobed from the doorway, his Chief Medical Officer and Head Nurse were engaged in a struggle with their young guest, who had apparently regained full use of her vocal chords. Bones had the girl around the middle, pulling the child away as she thrashed her feet towards Nurse Chapel. She was putting up a pretty decent fight, given her circumstances, Jim had to admit. 

“Doctor McCoy,” Jim said loudly, “Can you control your patient or not?” 

Miri stopped at the sudden appearance of a man she was surprised she recognized. It was the man from the hospital… and from the room with the window that showed impossible things. He entered the sickbay and strolled slowly towards them, a stern look on his face. 

McCoy took Miri’s distraction as an opportunity and firmly directed her back to her biobed. Her knees hit the edge of the bed and she sat heavily against the rough blankets. 

Jim glanced at Bones, who had a thin stream of blood trickling out of his nose. He couldn’t suppress a grin at the sight. “You alright there, Bones?”

The doctor scowled, but kept a firm grip on Miri’s shoulder. “Peachy, Jim. Miri and I were just getting to know each other.” 

“My kinda girl,” Jim said then, grinning down at Miri. “Nice hit to the nose, kid.” 

His charm couldn’t sway the girl. She stared back at him with hard eyes, breathing sharply through her nostrils.

“Who are you people? This is kidnapping. I want to know exactly where I am,” she said. Miri was privately very proud that her voice did not crack or break in that moment. It appeared she had finally asked the right question, as the man before her- a man clearly very important from the way Leonard McCoy and the nurse reacted to him- sighed heavily, and lost the easy grin from his face. 

Jim glanced at Bones, who simply shrugged. They had done what they could with the holodeck; it was now or never. 

“My name is Captain Jim Kirk,” Jim replied. 

“Captain? Of what?” 

“You ask a difficult question, Miri.” 

“No, the question is easy. Apparently it’s the answer that’s difficult,” Miri said. She clenched her fists, desiring to lash out. What was wrong with her? She was never this angry, never this disrespectful. McCoy seemed to notice her posture shift, and tightened his grip on her shoulder. It wasn’t painful, but it grounded her. It reminded her she was not the one in control, and while she didn’t like that feeling, it was at the very least something to cling to. 

“Miri,” Jim said after a long pause, “What do you remember before last night?” 

“I was in a hospital. A fake one. You were there, too. You attacked me!” 

Jim grimaced. “Er, well, there were extenuating circumstances at the time. I am sorry if I frightened you. But, I mean, what do you remember before the hospital-?”

“The fake hospital-,” Miri interjected. 

“Whatever kid, we’ll get to that later,” Bones said. Miri glowered at him, but the question had made her start to think. 

“I was at the market,” she replied slowly, eyebrow furrowing as she struggled to remember. “Something happened. An explosion? I was injured.” Her hand came up to ghost over her chest, a sudden shadow of pain echoing across the skin that had been bloodied and mangled. The action did not go unnoticed by McCoy. He hadn’t used the dermal regenerator to repair the scarring – he didn’t like to do that without patient permission – and he hoped she would let him examine her while awake so he could see how the wounds were doing. 

“Yes,” Jim said. “Miri, we were there too. Me and my crew. We are explorers, and happened to be at the market at the same time, when the explosion happened.”

“Explorers?” Miri raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Who the heck would want to explore Spokane? It’s like, the most boring place on the planet.” 

Jim smiled, but it was a small one. “To you, maybe. But to us, it was almost an impossible sight.” He pulled over the same stool McCoy had been sitting on and settled before Miri, bringing himself eye to eye with the young girl. “What do you know about wormholes kid?” 

Miri stared at him, unsure whether or not the question was a serious inquiry or not. When Captain Jim Kirk didn’t continue, she realized he was waiting for a legitimate response. 

“Not much. Like stuff from _science fiction movies?”_

“I believe even in your time the Eistein-Rosen bridge wasn’t merely relegated to theater performance, but rather had a solid footing as a speculative theory in most respected scientific circles,” a voice intoned from the doorway. Kirk turned on his stool. 

“Not helpful, Spock.” 

Miri made a point to be aware of the shadowed figure in the distant doorway, a pure instinct of new survival still running raw in her veins – but her main concern now was the man who called himself Captain, and the implications dancing underneath his words. 

“Explorers…” she said, drawing Kirk’s attention back. Later, she would look back and wonder at how every word she whispered drew his – and the others’ attention so swiftly to her. Just a girl, just Miri, and yet everyone seemed so intent on her in this moment. “You’re saying you come from a galaxy far, far away?”

Kirk grinned “Exactly!” but McCoy was beginning to shake his head. The good doctor had caught the lilting uptick in Miri’s voice, the breathy, shaky tone of someone on the verge of hysteria. Sure enough, Miri had begun to breath deeply, quickly, trying to calm herself as much as she could. Tears pricked at the back of her eyes and she tried, oh how she tried to keep them at bay, but her body betrayed her, and the hot, fat drops began to flow freely down her cheeks. 

She laughed then, but it was hollow, void of humor, and even Kirk knew enough to see that their conversation was taking a darker turn. 

“God, I’ve gone insane,” Miri said loudly, her bright voice a stark contrast to the tears streaming down her face. She tried to stand, but Bones pressed his hand down firmly into her shoulder. He looked at Kirk and jerked his head towards the door. 

“You are not insane,” Kirk tried once more, reaching out and touching her knee, but that was the wrong move. Miri lashed out with her uninjured arm, slapping his hand away and lurching forward, stayed only by the strength of McCoy. 

Christine bustled away from the bedside and began prepping a hypospray. Kirk stood and backed away slowly, watching as Miri became downright hysterical. 

“Captain,” Spock said softly. “We should go. Let them take care of her.” 

Kirk nodded, but could not tear his eyes from Miri as she sobbed and thrashed against Bones, though her fervor from before was not found in this round of violence. No, it was a pure and raw hopelessness that drove her fury. As Nurse Chapel dosed her with a light sedative and Miri’s movements slowed into mild compliance, Kirk felt a hard rock settle into the pit of his stomach. He watched as the two medical officers gently guided Miri back into bed. 

“Right,” he said. “Let’s go.”

And they left her behind.


	9. Various Storms and Saints

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick aside: I realized the other day that I published the first chapter on FF.net of this in 2013- which is RIDICULOUS. SO much time has passed. I debated going back and editing Miri's timeline a bit to have updated references she could make, but ultimately I've decided not to do so for such a small detail. So, I guess just keep that in mind while reading?

"Where are we?" Miri asked. Christine looked over, surprised to hear the girl's voice. The sedative, while certainly lighter than the one administered on the bridge, was one that often kept folks tired and loopy for hours, even after waking up. The again, this child was constantly surprising Christine with her tenacity and resolve. Doctor McCoy would have a bruised face for a week at least.

"You're in your new room," Christine responded. "We thought it best now that you're awake that you have a bit of privacy. It's important, for a girl your age especially."

Miri glanced about her new surroundings. She was no longer in the hospital bed of the medical bay, but was instead ensconced in soft, comfortable fabric that contained none of the scratchiness of medical sheets. The room itself reminded her a bit of a hotel room, or maybe even like Sam's dorm, as it was clearly a combination bed and living space all in one.

The bed, where she currently lay, was tucked away in a corner, with a low half wall giving some semblance of separation from the rest of the space. A desk was against the wall opposite her bed, with a small lamp and a rectangular object resting on the dark wood. Outside the "bedroom" was a reasonably sized living room, with enough space for a couch and two chairs. A small kitchenette was tucked in the corner, with a sink and storage cabinets.

She sat up in bed. Christine moved over to help her, but stopped when Miri flinched visibly. She resumed her former task of folding extra blankets and tucking them away in the closet. Doctor McCoy had suggested giving her space, particularly after her last meltdown in the medbay. It was also partially the reason why they'd moved her into empty crew quarters.

"How long was I… asleep?" Miri asked then, fiddling slightly with the blanket seams.

"Six hours or so," Christine responded, "roughly a night's rest or so, though you could do with more."

Miri felt a flash of anger. "I've slept enough, thank you," she snapped. Christine was unfazed. Emboldened by the lack of response, Miri slipped her legs out from the covers and hung them over the side of the bed, as if to get up.

Christine moved from the closet and into the living room, bustling over to the cabinets and examining their contents. While she was checking to see if the quarters were sufficiently stocked with basic items, she was discretely making sure there wasn't too much present that could be used as a weapon, or for Miri to hurt herself with.

Miri took Christine's movement as a sign that she was free to leave the bed, and she did so, stepping forward with shaky steps. The adrenaline that had propelled her movements hours ago had clearly left her system, and she felt like a newborn deer stepping over uneven terrain.

The bedroom was a deep, soothing purple, while the walls of the living area were a soft cream color. Miri took a few tentative steps from the bedroom.

"We're working on getting you some new clothes," Christine said as she bustled around the kitchenette. "Don't worry, you won't be in uniform, but in the meantime, your clothes have been laundered and are in the closet for you."

Miri looked down – she was still in a set of hospital pants and tunic.

"The bathroom is over there," Christine said, gesturing towards a door tucked from out of view of the bedroom. "I imagine you'll want to freshen up a bit. I'm having some food brought up from the mess hall, I imagine you are probably hungry."

"Am I allowed to leave?" Miri said suddenly. "Or am I going to be trapped in this room as well?"

Miri surprised herself with how aggressive her tone was. It was like she was trapped in some back corner of her mind, yelling internally to be nicer, but the voice that left her mouth didn't seem to agree with the sentiment.

"Despite what you may think, Miri, you aren't our prisoner," Christine said, an eyebrow raised at the girl. "I simply imagined that with everything you've been through that you might want some time alone, rather than eat in a crowded cafeteria."

Silence drifted between them then, and Miri, despite herself, felt a little shamefaced, try as she might to squelch the feeling. These people were tricking _her,_ they've kidnapped _her._

"And what exactly have I gone through?" Miri asked then.

"A lot," Christine said after a long moment. "You've gone through a lot."

There was a knock from the door opposite the bedroom. Christine paced over and pressed a button near the door frame. Miri watched as the door, rather than swing outward, slid rapidly to the side, disappearing into the frame with a low hiss.

Miri turned back to the bedroom, not wanting to be seen by whoever was on the other side. Across from the bed, along the same wall that held the closet, was a small, circular indent. A window. A shade was pulled down tightly over it. Miri reached out a hand, resting it against the shade.

"Miri, food is here," Christine called.

Miri let her hand drop, her breath expelling at the same time. She didn't want to see. Not yet.

Christine thanked the yeoman as she took the trays of food. While there was a replicator in the room, Christine had thought it best to have food brought up from the cafeteria – non replicated food, prepared from the ship's stores and hydroponic labs – for Miri's first meal in the 23rd century. While she wouldn't have been able to taste the difference really, Christine was rather concerned what the child might do when food appeared "magically" from the molecular synthesizer.

"Miri, would you like to have breakfast with me?" Christine said, setting the trays down on the small coffee table in the living room. She took the small pitcher of orange juice and poured herself a glass. When Miri turned back to peer into the living room, Christine raised the pitcher slightly, offering her some.

Miri appeared to think for a moment, but then slowly padded towards the living area. As she sat down and examined the food before her, Christine took this moment to do her own examination of Miri.

The child had become frightfully thin in the month spent under. While she was certainly receiving adequate nutrition and hydration during her sleep, it wasn't the same as a good meal three times a day. Miri was pale, with dark circles still shadows under her wide, doe like eyes. Miri reached out and removed the lids from the dishes on the trays, revealing scrambled eggs and potatoes, with a side of buttered toast. She glanced back up at Christine, who had already started to spread jam on her own toast.

"If you don't like this food we can always have something different brought up," she said. Miri dropped the lid back onto the plate and pushed the tray away from her.

"I'm not hungry," Miri said softly.

"Miri, you have to eat something, your body needs to heal -,"

"I SAID I'M NOT HUNGRY," Miri yelled, standing quickly from her seat. She hurried past Christine before the nurse could say a word, stepping into the bathroom and, finding the button in the panel on the wall, closed the door without a glance behind her.

Christine sighed and took a halfhearted bite out of her toast. She knew deep down it wasn't going to be as simple as a bit of breakfast and some kind words. What was the poor child going to do when she finally realized she was cut off from her home, her family, her everything forever?

Miri found herself in a small sized bathroom, with just enough room for a toilet, shower, sink and a bit of storage space around the mirror. She caught glimpse of her reflection and was startled by the sight, her wild eyes and matted hair an unrecognizable version of herself. She closed the lid of the toilet and sat down, breathing in deep, slow breaths in an effort to calm her racing heart.

Okay. _Okay._ What did she know? What are the very basics of her situation?

It was a trick her mother had taught her, whenever Miri was struggling with something – whether it be a tough school assignment, a fight with friends, or simply a decision she needed to make.

_"Take it down to the bones," Alice Alexander would say, "Start with the bones and take it from there."_

Bones. _"Most people call me Bones though, so feel free."_

The Doctor – McCoy. Leonard McCoy. Miri couldn't start with the mysterious hospital – that was too abstract, too confusing, but McCoy – he was real. Okay, so she was in a place that had a medical center, and McCoy was the doctor. Who else was there? Jim Kirk. The Captain. The captain of what?

An image of great, black nothingness pierced her mind, and Miri shook it away. No. No, she couldn't have seen what she saw.

But why was she in a medical bay? Miri's hand went to her chest, remembering a shadow of pain. She stood from the toilet suddenly, and began to shrug out of the tunic. In the hospital, her body had been free of any marks, any scars, even though she'd had bandages covering her skin.

She pressed her fingers over the skin of her chest and stomach. Small, faintly pink lines dotted the pale flesh, clearly recently healed wounds.

The explosion at the marketplace… that had been true. That was a true, solid event she could rely on. Jim Kirk had confirmed it. He had been there, he said.

...but was Captain Jim Kirk real? Miri choked back a sob. He was spouting off nonsense – wormholes and space and explorers – _none of that could be true._

Could it?

Miri didn't know. How many times had she awoken? What nightmare was she trapped in now? Was she in a hospital for real, but losing her mind?

Miri shook her head – she was getting too far from the bones now. She glanced about herself and her eyes landed on the shower. A nice hot shower- that was a basic action she could manage right now. That would be something she could accomplish. She stripped out of the rest of her clothing and cranked on the water, closing her eyes as she let the steam rise up around her.

This was one thing she could do. As she stepped into the hot water, eyes still closed, she couldn't help but hear a familiar sound – it was deep, and low and hard to decipher completely – but it was there. A gentle, ever present hum.

_____________________________________________________________

"The kid all settled?"

McCoy stabbed at a piece of breakfast sausage. It continued to evade him, rolling about on the plate as he chased it. Finally, just as he was about to pick the damn thing up with his bare hands, his fork pierced the sausage and he bit into it hungrily. It had been a long couple of days.

"Christine's taking care of that," he said after a few moments. "She's going to check in after a while."

Jim watched as his friend – nose turning a bit bruised – practically inhaled his breakfast. He sipped at his coffee, mulling over his next sentence.

"I'm going to tell Pike," he said finally. Bones' head jerked up from his plate, genuine surprise in his eyes. Spock, sitting next to the doctor but not eating as voraciously, also let his surprise be known in the subtle tilt of his head at Kirk's words.

"Well now, I think that's the best idea you've had -,"

"But not yet," Kirk finished.

Bones let the fork drop from his hand and he leaned back in his chair. Spock narrowed his eyes.

"May I ask what is the obstacle preventing you from informing the Admiral now, Captain?" Spock asked. Kirk took another sip from his coffee.

The cafeteria was sparsely populated at the moment. The breakfast rush had come and gone, and other than a petty officer snoozing at a table in the corner, they had the place to themselves.

"I'd like to also know," Bones said, pointing to his bruised nose, "In case you forgot, our guest isn't exactly in the most rational – and least violent- state of mind currently."

Bones' words were a bit harsh, but in reality, he didn't mind the injury. Hell, he likely would have done the same had the roles been reversed. The kid's mental state was going to be volatile at best over the coming weeks and months.

"We've just come upon an undiscovered planet, Bones," Kirk said. "The moment I tell Pike about the girl he's going to pull the mission back to the nearest Starbase and who the hell knows what kind of paperwork and debriefing will ensue."

"I would imagine quite a lot given the nature of our guest's arrival."

"Thank you, Spock. This mission has been rocky from the start and I just want _one_ thing to go right," Kirk said with a sigh. "Five years – deep space – that's what this year long survey is to prepare us for. We can't move forward if we keep getting dragged back to Starfleet," he finished.

"I suppose it would be a shame to leave just as we have arrived to such a discovery," Spock conceded. Bones looked at him sharply.

"You're taking his side? _Now?"_

Spock calmly polished an apple against the fabric of his shirt. "I take no sides in this debate, Doctor, I am merely stating the logic in finishing the current task at hand before embarking on a new one."

Bones stood then, taking his tray of food with him.

"Bones – can I count on you?" Kirk asked. McCoy rolled his eyes.

"Dammit Jim you know you can. I'm going to check in with Christine, see how Miri is doing."

Kirk bounded upwards and clapped Bones on the shoulder, nearly causing the man to drop the tray of food. "Good man, Bones – I knew I could rely on you. Spock -," he pointed at his First Officer, "You and me, to the Bridge – we've got a mission to plan."

Spock spared McCoy a quick glance, but matched Kirk step for step as they left the cafeteria.

McCoy sighed heavily. "How the hell does he always rope me into this shit?" he muttered aloud. The napping petty officer in the corner snored in response.

____________________________________________________________________________

"Miri? Are you okay in there?"

Christine tapped gently on the door to the bathroom. The water had stopped a few minutes ago, but Miri had yet to emerge. When she was met with silence, Christine turned to go back to cleaning up her breakfast. But then,

"...I can't find any towels," came a muffled response.

"Oh – that's right, I forgot to show you," Christine said. She leaned closer to the door so her voice would carry. "On the wall opposite the sink, there is a panel. Push on it."

Miri, beginning to shiver now as the steam dissipated, examined the wall. Barely discernible against the sleek, silver metal, Miri was able to make out a seam that traced out a rectangular shape. She pressed against it, and it immediately popped outward on a hinge, revealing a stack of navy blue towels.

She emerged from the bathroom, tightly swathed in the terrycloth. Christine smiled at her but gave her privacy, turning back towards the object in her hand. It looked like a tablet, or an iPad of some kind.

Her clothing was in the closet. Miri pulled out the jeans and flowered blouse that she had first put on in now what seemed like an eternity ago.

"We were able to clean it up and mend the holes from the blast," Christine said. "But let me know if it doesn't fit right anymore."

Miri nodded, shrugging into the bra and underwear that had been draped across the hanger with the jeans. She colored slightly at the thought of strangers handling her underwear. She knew it was silly, they were medics, but it felt wildly invasive.

Getting dressed only took so much time, and she dawdled in the bedroom, but she felt cooped up, stifled. Her anger and panic had drained her substantially, and she could see the tray of food still out on the coffee table. Her stomach growled.

"I heard that from here," Christine said. "I am happy to leave, if you'd like to eat alone."

"N-no," Miri said after a beat. She padded out from the bedroom, tentative, and suddenly shy. She sat down and reached for a fork. But just as her fingers were about to close around the metal, she paused. She looked back up at the woman sitting across from her, who was smiling at her encouragingly.

"I'm… sorry," Miri said, surprising them both. "For yelling."

Christine felt a small feeling of victory blossom within her. Well, that was something, at least.

"That's alright," she replied. "Thank you." _Now eat, please, you need it._

Miri took a small bite of the eggs, chewing slowly.

"What is your name?" she said.

"Oh, I suppose you're right, we haven't been properly introduced," Christine said. She set her PADD aside, folding her hands in her lap and she smiled at Miri. "I'm Nurse Chapel, but you can just call me Christine."

Miri couldn't quite return the smile, but the woman – Christine – had a warm, sunny voice. A feeling akin to calm, but perhaps not quite the real thing, began to sink over her.

"What is that?" She said, nodding to the tablet Christine had been tapping away at. "It looks like an iPad, my brother's been wanting one."

"You have a brother?"

"Yeah, Sam. He's older."

"I have an older sister."

"Oh."

Christine waited to see if Miri would volunteer more, but it didn't look likely. She reached over to the PADD and tapped it.

"It's called a PADD. I use it for work mostly, but I have a personal one as well. Your medical chart is in this one, for example, as well as my other patients."

"There are other patients here?" Miri said. "Like me? From the explosion?" _Maybe Lily, Amanda? Someone I know?_ But before the hope could rise too much, Nurse Chapel quashed it.

"No, Miri," she said softly, "There's no one else here quite like you."

"I am just so confused," Miri confessed, hot tears pricking at her eyes once again. She thumped her fist angrily against her thigh, irritated at the tears and sorrow. Christine threw caution in the wind and stood, joining Miri on the love seat. She took Miri's clenched hand in her own.

"I know," she said softly. "And I promise you, we will explain everything. But, in return, I ask for something from you."

Miri turned, surprised.

"I ask that you be patient with us," Christine said. "We're trying our best."

Miri drew in a shaky breath and let it out slowly.

"Alright. I'll try."


	10. Strangeness and Charm

The once cool fabric of the pillowcase was now warm and damp with her tears. Miri's head ached in only the way a good crying session could bring on.

Christine had left about an hour ago, and she'd spent every second since oscillating between fury, sadness, and hysteria. It felt like madness.

Miri was on a space ship. A _starship._ She snorted; even in her head it seemed ridiculous. But then she was sad again, for this all had to be in her head. A delusion, a complete break from reality. A result of the explosion? A nasty knock to the head perhaps?

God, was she really just a drooling mess right now on the floor of some psychiatric ward, her parents at the door weeping as they peered in on their sixteen year old daughter experiencing insanity? Miri sat up and wiped at her eyes.

It just all felt _so real._ If this was insanity, then what the heck had reality been?

And Christine was so kind. Miri wanted to believe so badly, but what then would that mean, if this was all real? This was her life now?

_An accident,_ Nurse Chapel said. _That's what happened. Our ship, the Enterprise, came upon your world during our exploration. Your world, your Earth – it mirrors the past of our own so closely, but with very distinct differences. We sent down an away team to investigate._

_When the explosion happened, we brought back our team and you… by accident._

Miri had been unable to listen too much longer than that. Away teams and mirrored earths – Miri refused to listen to it further.

The nurse had left then, but not before showing her a PADD of her very own on the desk by her bed. Miri hadn't been paying too much attention then, but now, tired of crying, she paced over to the desk and pulled the chair out. The screen powered on as she picked up the slim device. There were two icons on it – one was labeled _Nurse Chapel,_ and the other said _Library._ She tapped at the library option and was greeted with a selection of genres and titles.

She paused, looking out past the living room and at the door. Christine said she could leave any time she wanted, but that someone would be waiting outside to escort her.

Miri didn't feel quite like talking to anyone else. She looked back down at the PADD and picked a title at random, content for the moment to read her way into blissful distraction.

_________________________________________________________________

"You think it's smart to leave her alone?" Jascro asked, popping his chewing gum loudly. He had been allowed back into the medbay ( _"finally-" he bemoaned_ ) once Miri had been moved into the crew quarters.

McCoy looked up from his report and glanced at Christine to see her reaction. The nurse, clearly tired, nodded her head confidently.

"I think it's the only thing we can do right now. I removed anything dangerous from the rooms, and I've got Yeoman Rand on watch right now in case she decides to leave."

Jascro, having had his feet propped up on his desk, let them slide to the floor with a heavy thump. His antennae twitched.

"You're going to let her _out?_ After her first escapade through the halls?"

"Christine's right," McCoy said gruffly. "Making her think she's a prisoner will only heighten her anxiety. Plus, she's going to be here for a little while. Captain Kirk wants to send a landing party down to shore before we head for the nearest starbase."

Jascro frowned then. "Wait, we're getting rid of her?"

"Jesus Jascro, a second ago you were terrified at the thought of her roaming the halls, now you don't want her to leave?" McCoy said.

The Andorian shrugged. "I dunno, just surprised I guess. We found her, I thought we could keep her."

"She's not a damn puppy."

"I know _that._ It just seems a little… cruel."

McCoy didn't respond. He'd been wrestling with the same thought the past few hours. Despite his insistence that Kirk notify the Admiral, he wasn't quite sure what the effect of being dumped in a strange starbase might have on Miri's mental state. And what the hell would Starfleet even do with her?

"Is there anything we can do to help her, Leonard?" Christine said then. McCoy knew she was running on fumes then; she never called him by her first name in front of others – especially not the intern. He sighed.

"I've got an old friend, a practicing psychologist. I'll reach out to see if she's got any bright ideas. Now go get some sleep, Christine."

Christine wasted no time arguing and made a quick exit from the medbay. McCoy leaned back in his chair, staring at the array of medical charts before him.

"Some pickle, eh?" Jascro said then. "What's your next step?"

McCoy glared at him. "Nothing involving you, Rayux. In fact, don't you have some patients to check on in the recovery room?"

Jascro wrinkled his nose in a very un-Andorian way before rising from his desk.

"Everyone's so touchy 'round here," he muttered as he skulked away.

McCoy ignored him and punched at his PADD viciously. Did he even still have her number? Ah, there it was… his finger hovered over display, hesitating slightly.

Victoria Rosenthal. Their last encounter hadn't been a great one. Maybe she'd forgiven him after all this time?

"Leonard Fucking McCoy, what the hell do you want?"

Clearly not.

McCoy gave a tentative, hopefully charming smile. Unfortunately, he did not share the same talent as Jim.

"Hey Tori -,"

"Don't 'Tori' me you asshole, it's been what, six years? Stand me up at that bar and you're just now calling?"

"I thought therapists were good with anger management," McCoy muttered.

"Fuck you, it's called emotion acknowledgment and right now I am acknowledging how much I want to punch your face."

Victoria Rosenthal was an incredibly accomplished psychologist in her field. McCoy had met her at some fancy soiree for medical professionals about eight years ago and had instantly hit it off. His marriage was dead in the water by that point and divorce on the horizon. Victoria and he danced around each other for years before finally, _finally_ he worked up the courage to ask her out.

And then, the night they were going to give things a try, he had a massive fight with Jocelyn, got drunk, and woke up the next day to find he had joined Starfleet, rather than next to a very beautiful woman he was fairly certain wanted him as badly as he wanted her.

"I swear, if I could just leap through this thing I would tear your throat -,"

Well. Used to want him as badly as he wanted her.

"Victoria, I'm calling because I need your help. I'm outta my league here."

Victoria's nostrils flared, but she stopped ranting for a moment. She leaned back in her leather chair, glowering for a few moments at her PADD. The sun shone softly through the window of her private office in her clinic. Outside the Baltimore skyline twinkled in the distance.

"When it comes to me, McCoy, you're always out of your league," she said then, though her tone had lost a fraction of its sharpness. She squinted then, taking in his background.

"Are you… are you on a starship?"

"Yeah. USS Enterprise."

"You're in Starfleet? Jesus McCoy, you really did disappear on me." Victoria could feel the irritation seeping away from her. "And you look like shit."

McCoy chuckled, drawing out a smile from her as well.

"Alright, what do you need? I'm going to bill you for this, just so you're aware. Consultation fee."

"Send the invoice to James T. Kirk, it's his fault I'm calling you in the first place,"McCoy said gruffly. He examined the woman though the screen – Victoria had her arms crossed sternly over her chest and still held the same, unimpressed countenance over her face, but she appeared to be listening, at the very least. How the hell did he even begin? He sighed – might as well just dive in.

"Picture this: a massive fucking wormhole..."  
___________________________________________________________________

Miri let the PADD drop back onto the coffee table. Several hours had passed, and in that time she had migrated from the desk to the comfortable love seat in the living room. She had also calmed down significantly, and while she wasn't exactly feeling like herself, Miri had a stronger sense of stability than before.

_The future, huh? Alternate reality?_

Miri glanced about the room, taking it in once more. It really did seem like a normal room, one she could find in any moderately priced hotel in Spokane. Nothing here indicated the sleek, futuristic design she might have expected from something in the far flung future.

She grabbed the PADD once more with a sudden idea. The book she'd been reading had not been a title she recognized. It was a historical drama, set some time in the renaissance era, but read like a modern piece of fiction. She pulled the novel back up on the screen, this time swiping the "pages" back to the very beginning of the book. _Forward, table of contents, title page -there: publishers info._

_Ninth House Publishing_

_Copyright 2252, Arthur Silas_

_2252._ Christine had said it was 2258 currently. So this book was about 6 years old… or about 239 years away from being published, if it was still 2013. Miri snorted to herself – at least the psychosis was focused on world building details.

She sobered fairly quickly. Could her mind come up with something so finite, so precise? She glanced back at the bedroom again, where the small, circular window was. She could see it from her seat, and it appeared like a brand against the deep purple walls. She stood, striding over to the window with purpose, with false bravado designed to overcome the feelings of uncertainty swirling inside.

Before she could change her mind, she reached out and slid up the shade, peering outward.

Darkness gazed back at her. It was a deep, pitch black, darker than any shadowed room she had ever been in. But faintly, the black was punctuated by a small pinprick of light. Stars. Miri let her hand fall away from the window, suddenly very tired.

It seemed that with every action, she uncovered more questions, rather than answers.

Miri bristled then. While she might not be the cleverest girl in the room at all times, she did have one thing that could help her through some tough situations: sheer stubbornness.

She took after her father this way. _Bullheaded_ her brother and mother liked to call the pair. Miri might be a bit shy on average, a bit timid – but once she had something in her brain she was hard-pressed to turn away from it.

Miri searched around the room for her sneakers, finally finding the Converse poking out from underneath the bed. Squaring her shoulders, she squashed down the nerves as much as she could and strode towards the exit.

Yeoman Rand twisted her torso side to side as she attempted to work out a kink in her back. Guard duty wasn't exactly in her job description, but Doctor McCoy and Nurse Chapel had been uneasy at the idea of Security standing watch over the child.

"Trigger happy adrenaline junkies," Doctor McCoy had groused. "They'll stun anything that sneezes too loudly."

So Yeoman Janice Rand was assigned first watch. She didn't mind too much; it got her out of some of the paperwork and errand running her job typically entailed. Enlisted glorified personal assistant was really her job title, if she was honest with herself, but it got her into Starfleet all the same. Plus, she'd be lying to herself if she wasn't curious about the kid – Miri. Their brief encounter in the hall had left an imprint in her thoughts. No more was the "stranded child" a rumor among the halls, but a real, living person in their midst.

She was interrupted from her musings (and stretches) by the pneumatic hiss of the very door she was standing watch over, followed by a head leaning out of the doorway. Janice schooled her expression into one of polite neutrality (something she was very familiar with, as yeoman to Captain Kirk), and stepped aside to allow Miri to exit fully.

Miri hovered in the doorway, peering out into what lay beyond. It was a familiar sight – a shiny black floor surrounded by brilliant white walls, each one containing a column of inset panels that appeared to provide storage of some kind. Above her head, the white ceiling was dotted with circular lights, each casting a steady glow.

"Can I help you with something?" A kind voice said. Miri cast her gaze back to the figure standing near her, a woman in a red dress and a sort of beehive hairstyle.

Janice was surprised to see Miri was older than she had realized. Their crash in the hall hadn't been enough time to get a good look at her. It relieved her – Janice wasn't known for her way with children. But a teenager? That might be a bit easier.

"Nurse Chapel said I could leave the room?" Miri said tentatively then.

"Yes, of course," Janice replied. "I'm Yeoman Rand and I'm here to show you around. Would you like a tour?"

Miri stepped out fully into the hall, but stayed close to the wall. Others passed in the hallway around them, all in some variation of the same outfit Yeoman Rand was wearing. They were clearly uniforms – some wore dresses, others a shirt and slack set. Miri tugged her own blouse down, feeling slightly out of place in her street clothing.

"Um, yes please, I guess," Miri replied.

"Wonderful!" Janice replied brightly. She motioned down the hall. "Shall we?"

They set off slowly, Janice matching her steps to Miri's.

"We are currently in crew quarters, level twelve, section four," Janice said. "You can find level and section indicators at the end of each hall."

Every few feet they passed a recessed door, identical to her own – clearly her new neighbors. The hall curved gently to the right, and ahead Miri could see an open space. They emerged into a tall tower of sorts, their path extending into an open walkway that adjoined another long hall ahead. As they stepped onto the walkway, Miri looked upward, seeing that there were many floors above them, with similar paths connecting the tower.

"This is a… ship?" Miri asked, her mouth hanging open slightly. Janice nodded, understanding her awe. Even for her, someone raised in the 23rd century, with an acute awareness for starships and space flight – the Enterprise certainly was a sight to behold.

"Yes, specifically the USS Enterprise. Best starship in the fleet, if you ask anyone," Janice said, continuing down the walkway after a moment.

Miri's anxiety and fear drifted away as it was replaced by curiosity. She felt as though she needed at least three more sets of eyes to take in everything around her.

"How many people are on this ship?" Miri asked as they wandered further. While the halls weren't exactly packed, they had pretty much been in sight of another person or two at all times.

"Oh, I think just over 400 crew this vessel at the moment," Janice replied. Miri's attention was drawn as they passed another crew member. She came to a full stop and gaped as the green skinned woman tapped away at her PADD, striding purposefully across the shiny black tile. Miri, unable to help herself, pressed herself closely to the yeoman, giving as much space to the… creature as possible.

"Oh, that's alright, that's just Minerva," Janice said. Before Miri could protest, Janice had called out to the green woman.

"Minerva! What are you working on?" The woman glanced up, an irritated look on her face, but it lessened somewhat once she saw who had spoken.

"I'm headed over to hydroponics – looks like sanitation accidentally sprayed some caustic cleaner on our tomatoes. We're likely going to lose the crop, but I need to see if anything is salvageable."

Janice turned to Miri. "Well, how about the hydroponics bay for our first stop?"

Miri was still too busy staring at Minerva to fully respond, but she managed a half-shrug of compliance. Minerva, for her part, pointedly ignored the staring and continued on her way down the hall.

Janice gently pushed Miri forward, but allowed the teenager to practically cling to her while they followed Minerva towards their destination.

"Miri, it's alright," Janice said, "Minerva is an Orion – that's why she appears the way she does. It's simply how her species looks."

Miri didn't respond, nor did she relinquish her grip on Janice. She did, however, allow the yeoman to tug her along with minimal resistance.

The entered an elevator - _"Turbolift"_ Janice called it – and ascended three levels, before stepping out into a wide lobby of sorts. Extending out directly in front of them were rows of desks and cubicles. It felt like an office, almost, staffed by more uniformed crew members. Miri could see a few more non-human faces in this midst, and she quickly averted her eyes. She blew out a shaky stream of air; she wasn't going to turn back so soon after leaving her room, otherwise she'd never get any answers.

_Just keep moving, Miri, one foot in front of the other._

The turned right out of the turbolift, passing the cubicles to pass down a short hallway. _Sustainable Food Storage_ was emblazoned on the metal wall outside a set of glass doors. They slid open sharply as they approached, and Miri could smell the scent of greenery and soil before they even entered.

"Wow," Miri breathed, impressed at the sight before her. The hydroponics bay was a massive thing, but rather than the strict rows of crops she had been anticipating, it was almost as if they were entering a park, or a lush garden.

A pathway wove its way through neatly trimmed grasses, curving and looping around stones, brush, flowers, and trees. As the trio followed it, Miri could see that sections of the garden were clearly dedicated to specific crops. They passed tomatoes and zucchini, potatoes, a lemon grove, apple and plum trees, patches of cabbages and lettuce and spinach, before winding their way around more exotic plants Miri had never seen before.

"As you saw earlier, it isn't only a human population the Enterprise feeds," Janice said as they stopped before a particularly interesting plant. Pink stalks shot upward from blue soil, lime green fruits hanging from the reedy shoots. "The hydroponics bay is designed to sustain the crew entirely, with no need for restocks or reliance on our replicators. Deep space exploration is our goal here – and we wouldn't be able to do that without growing our own food."

Unsettled at the mention of non-humans and deep space, Miri glanced about to give something else an opportunity to distract her.

"What's that, through those doors?" she said, pointing across the room.

"That is for our specimen collections," Minerva answered then, sidling up to them. She held a small silver container, a pair of tongs poking out the top. "We don't want to mix the plant life we collect from undocumented planets – it could potentially contaminate our food stores, so we process them in there. Each crew member completes a thorough decontamination procedure before exiting and entering the hydroponics bay from that area."

"Well?" Janice asked, "What do you think of our first stop?"

"It's wonderful," Miri replied truthfully. It really was – she felt as though she had entered a lavish oasis, and the greenery (despite the presence of alien plants) calmed her immensely.

Minerva held out the silver tray and tongs.

"Care to help me out a little? I'd like to take a few cuttings from the tomato plants, see if we can't salvage and propagate what little remains."

Miri swallowed hard. She looked at Janice, who nodded encouragingly. _Get to the bones, get to the bottom of all this._ Miri clenched her jaw and took the tray with hands that shook only a little, she was pleased to see.

"Splendid. Follow me." Minerva turned on her heel and marched away smartly, leaving Miri to scurry after her clumsily. Janice hung back slightly, pulling her comm from her belt.

"Doctor McCoy? Yeoman Rand. Miri and I are out and about. Nurse Chapel instructed me to inform you."

Bones, back in the medbay – but having moved into his private office – nodded once to himself.

"Thank you, Janice," he replied gruffly.

"Well that sounds like progress," Victoria replied. "I'm curious to see what she thinks of her new home."

"It won't be home for long," McCoy reminded her. "Not when Starfleet hears about her." Victoria nodded, leaning back in her office chair. The sun had now begun to set in Baltimore, lighting her office in a wash of goldenrod and pink. "Do you have any advice?"

"I think you are doing the right thing, McCoy," Victoria replied. "I understand the intention of the holodeck, and it's a shame she was woken so abruptly. A real case could have been made to introduce her new situation slowly, carefully. But now, I think giving her a bit of free reign is going to be key."

"What about when it's time to turn her over to Starfleet?" McCoy asked then. Speaking the question aloud made his chest tighten uncomfortably. It all seemed so… unfair. Victoria seemed to be mulling her thoughts over, bringing her fingers to steeple under her sharp chin.

"I want to do a bit of research," she said finally, "on similar studies."

"You think there's others like her?" McCoy asked dryly.

"No, smartass, but there are documented cases of cryogenically frozen patients experiencing a similar time shift – though not quite as severe. And, despite it being a popular trope in holovids, there are some true instances of individuals crashing their ship on an undocumented planet – completely out of their element, and we know of the experiences they endured during their time before rescue." Victoria began writing a few things down as she spoke. It was something McCoy had always liked about her, she wove in between her thoughts and conjecture so rapidly and yet cohesively. He felt like he was a part of her problem solving, along for the ride as her brain weaved in and out of an issue.

"I do want to meet with her," Victoria continued. "As her therapist. I can tell you, regardless of her length of stay on the Enterprise, that she will need a familiar face when she transfers to Starfleet's care."

"I think we can arrange that."

"You will arrange that."

"Yes ma'am," McCoy said wryly. He paused. Then, "You think she'll be okay?"

Victoria stopped writing then, surprised. She set down the pen and looked back at the doctor, separated by the screen and vast expanse of space. She'd known Leonard McCoy for a long time, and he truly was an asshole the entire time they'd been acquainted. Yeah, Jocelyn had a bit to do with it, but McCoy was a misanthrope through and through. The only time she'd really seen him soften was with his daughter, Joanna. And now, apparently, Miri Alexander.

"I won't really know until I meet with her," she replied slowly. "But what I can tell you now? Kids – teenagers – they're more resilient than we often give them credit for."

"But?"

"But it will take a lot of work. And it won't be easy."

They said their goodbyes then, and McCoy found himself alone with his thoughts. The whiskey in his desk called to him lowly, reminding him of the curls of a migraine flooding the front of his skull. He ignored it though, instead pushing himself up from his desk and out into his medbay.

His "consultation" with Victoria had lasted several hours. He had patients to see. It was time to get back to work.


End file.
